


Baby Bird

by themysticalsong



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2017-12-30 02:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themysticalsong/pseuds/themysticalsong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Matt hears Alex call out his name at 7 in the morning, he truly does not expect this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

When he hears Alex call out his name through the thin walls of their flats, he honestly does not expect this. Anything, but not this.

 

It is hardly 7 in the morning- a glorious, lazy Saturday morning; art class isn't until 4 pm and he is done with his assignment, so, Matt is, pretty much, just _lazying_ around. He was only beginning to, once again, happily doze, when he heard Alex’s desperate cry through their shared bedroom wall, “ _Maaaaattttt!!”_ Suffice it to say, that was enough to wake him up.

 

Thinking she might be in some sort of problem, Matt leaps out of the bed and takes off in the direction of the door. In record time he is out of his flat and has barged into Alex’s. Moving in the direction of her bedroom, he notices two things. First, the lack of any other person, apart from him and Alex, in that flat, and second, how messed up the place is. Entering the bedroom, his eyes immediately land on his friend who is sitting cross legged on the floor and glaring at something intensely. Looking around, he isn’t able to discern any plausible reason for the loud cry that woke him up. Still, reasoning that this is Alex, he slowly asks, his concern showing in his voice, “Alex, love, you alright?” The only response he gets is a tiny sniff.

 

Flopping down next to her, Matt tries to see what Alex is holding in her hand. As soon as he moves a bit closer, Alex looks up, the wild look of her eyes telling him how shocked she herself is, her hands urgently thrusting the object in her hand in his hands as if to physically move it away from herself.

 

And then she says those three words. The words that would change his life – _their lives_ – forever.

  

 

 

**_“I am pregnant.”_ **

****

 

 

  
~~*~~

 

All he can do is stupidly gape at Alex and then at the stick in his hands. _Alex is pregnant._ His best friend is pregnant. His brain was taking time to process the news. Alex is no help at all – she is busy glaring at the floor, as if it can provide answers to the mysteries of the universe. After a couple of minutes, he is finally able to bring his brain and mouth in synch- “How?”

 

To his utter surprise, Alex blushes. In all the twenty something years that he has known Alex, grown up with her, he has never seen her blush. Not even when she was teased about her crush on their music teacher in high school. And here she is, sitting on the floor of her room, and blushing a deep red, like a tomato. He would have teased her about it, if his heart was not trying to get itself noticed. _She is pregnant. Pregnant. That means either she is with someone, or was with someone. How could she not tell him this? How could he miss it? Some best friend he is!_

 

“Matt?” her small, scared voice breaks him out of his reverie, and he immediately focuses on Alex, ignoring his heart. He once again asks her, “How, Alex? And, well, shouldn’t you be telling this to your boyfriend?”

 

“Ikindahadaonenightstand”, she rushes it all through, making the entire sentence sound like a single word.

 

“A little clearer than that?”, he asks.

 

Hiding her face in her hands, Alex gets up, sitting on the edge of the bed, she starts explaining, “Well...uh...umm...you remember you were gone fishing with Arthur for two days last month? Uh—me and Karen- well, we went out to the new pub for a few drinks—there was this really nice and cute guy there—and the atmosphere there was so—and the next day, I woke up alone here, in the bed.”

 

Ignoring the pain blooming in his heart, Matt asks, “And does that nice, cute guy have a name? We need to find him, Alex. He should know about”, pausing to think for a good word, he lamely adds, “ _this.”_

 

“I don’t know, Matt. George, John, Tony- anything. I honestly don’t know- don’t look at me like that. Karen had got me so drunk, I could barely stand, and this guy- he was so nice and sweet...and really handsome- I would have loved to date him, get to know him more. But we were both drunk. And now, I’m pregnant, I don’t know who he was, where he was from, where he lives. Hell, I don’t even remember his first name, if he had ever given me one”, her voice starts becoming wobbly towards the end, with a tear quietly making its way down her cheek. If he was a little scared before, now he is downright terrified. Nothing in this world terrifies him more than Alex’s tears. Instantly he crawls towards Alex, and sits up on his knees, “Hey, hey. Alex”, wiping the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs, he says, almost in a whisper, “hey, come on, don’t worry, okay?”, taking her hands in his, and feeling them shake, he whispers, “I’m here for you- always. Okay? So, no crying, hmm? We’ll find a way through this. We will, alright? We’ll find him; even if we don’t, I’m here, okay? Right here. Not going anywhere. I’m here. Always.” By the end, Alex is hugging him tightly, almost clutching him, like a baby koala, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He feels her tears soaking through his thin pajama top, and can almost feel her fear. Placing a comforting arm around her, he starts making circular, gentle and comforting, movements on her back. After her sobs subside, Matt gently disentangles them both. Kissing the top of her head, he grasps her hands tightly into his and stands up. Grabbing her toothbrush from her bathroom, he slowly walks them both to his flat, moving straight to his bedroom. Once inside, he sits Alex down on his bed, and moves towards the bathroom to put some toothpaste on her brush, and, well, his too, only to come out to find Alex curled up in his bed, snuggling in his blankets, fast asleep.

 

 

Drawing the blanket around her, tucking it under her chin, Matt kisses the top of her head, and shuffles towards the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for both of them, and to clear his head.

 

 ~~*~~

 

Alex wakes up with a growling stomach and delicious smell of tea, and something just lingering in the air. Something familiar, and yet it makes her recoil, and before she knows, she is bending over the toilet bowl, throwing up. She feels someone holding her hair away from her face and rubbing soothing circles on her back. _Matt._ He is kneeling right beside her, almost holding her up. Gasping for breath, she leans into him, and lets out a tiny whimper. Holding her tightly, Matt stands them both up.

 

“Alex, are you alright?” he asks, concerned.

 

In a hushed tone, one that he almost has to strain to hear, comes the mumble that makes him smile, “Yeah, fine. Just hungry.”

 

“Well, breakfast is almost ready. Go, get ready, and I’ll plate it, ‘kay?”

 

Unable to manage anything, Alex simply nods and with a longing look towards the bed, she drags herself to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

 

By the time Matt has plated the breakfast, Alex freshens up, and is seated on the small dining table in Matt’s kitchen, looking just about to fall asleep. Judging by the way she drags her fork through her breakfast, Matt thinks it better to interfere now before Alex actually fell asleep in her plate. Gently shaking her, he calls out, “Alex? Alex?”, a bleary eyed Alex looks up at him, trying to blink away sleep from her eyes, “eat something. You need to eat. Then you can sleep, alright? Eat up, Kingston.” Nodding, Alex again goes back to dragging her fork around the plate. Shaking his head, Matt takes the fork from her.

 

“Come on. Baby bird. Open your mouth.”

 

Too tired [ _too emotionally drained,_ he thinks] to argue, Alex simply opens up her mouth to accept the small bites Matt feeds her.

 

After Matt has finished feeding Alex, he gets up to place the plates in the sink. When he turns back, he finds Alex slumped on the table and fast asleep. Deciding against waking her up, he gently picks her up, and deposits her on his bed. Tucking the blanket under her chin, he gently kisses her forehead, and leaves the room.

 

Flopping down on the couch in the hall, all Matt can think about is Alex. He had always known her. As far as he could remember, Alex had always been his friend. His best friend. They were born and brought up in same neighbourhood, their parents good friends. Same school, same summer camps. It had always been him and her. Baby giraffe and his baby bird. After their parents had passed away in a car accident, he had sworn to take care of Alex. No matter what it took. He had ensured they lived in the same building, right next to each other. Not that Alex would have done otherwise. And somewhere, during this all, he had fallen in love with her. Oh, who is he kidding? There was never anybody else. Even as kids, when they would be playing house (him, begrudgingly, of course), he could think of nobody better than Alex to have his make believe family with. In high school, through graduation, he tried to think of other girls, date other girls, but he was always unsuccessful. Alex, on the other hand, went on dates, and came back to regale him with the stories of her horrid dates, giggling uncontrollably. And he was always afraid of this. Alex falling in love with someone else. He had always known there was nobody else for him but Alex. However, he could not say the same for her. He had always thought that Alex had every right to fall in love with whosoever she wanted to, and have the life she wanted. And now it seems, she had found one, even if she could not remember his name, face, or address, fallen in love, and is pregnant. Now, he shall be her best ever friend and help her out in any way he can. In any way she wants him to.

 

 

His decision made, he falls back into the cushions and promptly falls asleep.

 

  

 

~~*~~ 

 

 

When Matt finally wakes up, Alex is sitting on the bean bag next to the couch, fidgeting and twisting and untwisting her fingers. Honestly, that girl could never sit still.

 

Hiding a smile behind the elbow covering his face, he says, “Stop fidgeting, Alex. Its disturbing.”

 

“Oi! Watch it, giraffe! And, anyways, you were asleep, what was I supposed to do? This- _this-_ this all is making me nervous and—and—Oh God! Matt!! Its a baby. A baby”, her eyes going round, “what am I supposed to do? They require a lot of things, a lot of attention. What am I going to do, Matt?”

 

_Definitely need to get up now._ Getting up to make some tea, Matt gently asks, “Do you want to abort it? Alex, because its your choice. Think it through. Think about what you want in life. What you want from your life, and where does this child fit in. Do you really want to keep it? If not, we can go to a hospital tomorrow and get the procedure done as soon as possible.”

 

“Oh God! No! No, Matt. I really do want to keep it. I have always thought of children of my own, and well, with the vast number of men lining up outside my door, do you think I have time to think about a baby?” she smirks, and then seriously adds, “But I do want this. I am not happy about the exact circumstances, but I want this baby.”

 

“Okay. Good. So, uh, now, do you have anything- any info- that can be used to locate this little pea’s father?” he asks, gesturing towards her still flat belly.

 

“Pea?” she giggles , “I like it.” Sobering up, she sighs, “I have absolutely nothing, Matt. Not his name, not his address, nothing. I don’t even recall his face. Nothing that could help us find him. And, well—uh—I was thinking- I mean, uh, maybe I could bring up the baby alone. I mean, I want to. I’d rather bring baby up alone than with some guy I don’t even remember the face of.”

 

Making his way back to her, Matt hands Alex her cup, and making her scoot, settles next to her on the bean bag, “Not Alone. You are a right pain in my backside when you want to be”, that gets him an elbow in the ribs from her, “but I can’t let you do it alone. Ever imagined a baby bird trying to feed another?” earning himself a smack at the back of his head and rubbing the affected spot, Matt continues, “but, in all seriousness, I won’t let you do it all by yourself.”

 

“Then how do you think I should go about it? Honestly, Matt! I don’t have any idea about who that guy was, and even if I did, I wouldn’t do this, well, any more than I have already done, with a stranger.”

 

“I didn’t say that—“

 

“Then what? I’m not about to go and get married to some random stranger, Matt. I can bring my baby up alone, and I will. I know it will be difficult doing it all by myself. It would have been slightly easier had mum been alive, but I can do it, Matt. I can.”

 

“ _Alex_ ”, and before she interrupts him again, Matt clamps a hand over her mouth to stop her, and continues, “I didn’t say you can’t do it alone, or that you need some guy to bring up this child. I am simply offering to help you out with this. In any way you want. Think it as two hands being better than one. Nothing more.”

 

Alex’s eyes soften at that, and Matt removes his hand, allowing her to talk, hating the insecurity seeping through her tone when she does, “Would you really do that for me?”

 

 

Pulling her into him so her head is resting on his shoulder, Matt wraps an arm around her, “Of course. I’d do anything for you, nestling. I would.”

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all for your lovely comments and messages. I can't tell you how happy they make me. =)
> 
> And now, *claps her hands* New chapter! Small, and probably crappy [I don't really like how it has turned out- sounded better in my head. You guys have to tell me where I can improve!]. Some development is shown here.
> 
> Next chapters might be delayed [I have homework x_x], but i'll update whenever I can.

 

 

 

“Why do I have to move to another place, again?”, Alex asks, her hands on her hips.

 

“Because” he tries explaining, with his arms flailing, “this isn’t the best area to bring up a child, Alex. I have been thinking about it. And our flats are bloody tiny. How many times you yourself have complained about the fact that you can’t have sleepovers with your girlfriends at your flat because of the lack of space. Imagine adding another being who will, if not now, but later on, need space for himself or herself to that space.”

 

“But that doesn’t mean I have to move now, does it? I can always move later.”

 

“That, but then, babies also need some open space, don’t they- to play, move and stuff? You need a bigger flat, Alex.” He frowns, and adds, scratching his cheek, “they also show in movies and tv shows - people move to a bigger place when they plan a family- have babies.”

 

Now it was her turn to frown, “Do they? Really?”

 

“I think so, yes.” Her expression tells him she is thinking it over, so he continues, “Even Josh and Stephanie from the 3rd floor moved to another area because they needed a bigger flat with more space for the baby. I think its some sort of unspoken rule, or something.”

 

“Okay. I’ll move, if you say so. But, how will I find another place so soon?”

 

“Easy peasy. I’ll find some agent, who’ll find us a new place”, he smiles at her, clapping his hands together, “Yay, baby bird! You are getting a new nest!”

 

And just like that, its settled.

 

~~*~~

 

 

Of course, not entirely.

 

Ever since they found out about her pregnancy, Matt has taken to spending almost all his time with Alex. Not that she seems to mind it. On the days when he doesn’t come to her flat first, she just barrels through his door, and spends the entire day there.

 

That, however, in no way means that their cooking duties would be divided evenly. And that is how he finds himself that evening bending over the stove with Alex’s ‘Hello Kitty’ apron around him ( _Its Pink, Alex!)_ , who was currently lounging on the couch and flicking through the channels on the telly, “ _I am pregnant, and tired”_ being her chosen escape for the night.

 

“Maaattt.” Honestly, the way she drags the pronunciation of his name sometimes he feels his name is _Maaattt_ and not _Matt._ Without turning around, he hums, “Mhmm?”

 

“I was thinking—“

 

“Really? I didn’t know you could. Doesn’t that require usage of grey cells?”, he teases, turning towards her, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel.

 

Glaring at him, Alex continues, “Well, its good then, isn’t it? If I move away I won’t have to put up with your assholey ways. I can bring up my baby peacefully, and alone.”

 

And he hears the unspoken query in her words. Smiling, he kneels down next to her, an arm over the arm of the couch, next to her head, “You missed the plot there, didn’t you, Tiny? Baby bird feeding another baby bird- _You_ taking care of someone whose behaviour and actions would be completely out of your control?  That’s the stuff crappy comedies are made of. I can’t miss out on such a thing,” he bops her nose, “No. I’ll be moving with you. I have already asked my agent to look for two flats- one for me and one for you.”

 

“I’m not tiny!” she protests, and he knows she is relieved.

 

“Yes, you are. You can’t even reach the top cabinet without a stool”, he smirks and dances away, dodging the cushion Alex sends flying at him.

 

“That is because it’s too bloody high!!”, and when he starts laughing, she narrows her eyes and huffs, “I hate you!”

 

 

“No, you don’t”, and just because it annoys her more than anything, he adds, “Tiny!”

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

“You know, baby is probably going to have a curly head?”

 

Giving him a withering glance, Alex snatches the remote from him, “Why do you have to speak? Ever heard of the phrase ‘kindly shut up’?”

 

“Well—“

 

“And its curly _hair,_ not head, you illiterate!’

 

“Am I pissing you off?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Then I claim victory!”

 

“Sod off!” Alex snaps, smacking Matt.

 

“The least you can do, Tiny, is be a little polite with me, seeing as its my couch you have build your blanket fortress on.”

 

“Sorry. _Kindly_ , sod off. That okay?”

 

“Extremely”, Matt bops her nose and gets up from his seat at the foot of the couch, “Tea? Its been two hours since you last ate. Want something to eat? Apple, may be?”

 

“Only if you can slice it in similar sized bites”, Alex teases.

 

“Hmm”, Matt pretends to contemplate for a moment, and then sticks out his tongue at her, “that answer enough for you, Kingston?”

 

“Twat”, Alex huffs, feeling rather tired. It had been a long day. Ever since they had discussed about moving, they had been constantly searching for a perfect home for Alex and her child. Well, perfect house according to Alex, and perfect neighbourhood according to Matt. And as it happens when you are looking for your ideal home, its either affordable, or its perfect. Turns out the neighbourhood Matt deems ideal (and Alex tends to agree because of its proximity to their university) has some really good apartments. Alex loves them too. So obviously, they have to be overpriced and unaffordable. Any apartment that Alex deems perfect, either they are in different neighbourhood, or in a building where there are no other apartments available. When it happens again and again, she starts thinking that they might have to live in different areas, and points it out to Matt, who completely refuses to consider it as a possible outcome. By the time they crash on Matt’s couch, and in Matt’s case, on floor, Alex is feeling completely exhausted and rather dejected, while Matt is trying to cheer her up and is mailing the agent to look for more flats.

 

“Stop it, Alex,” he softly says, not looking up from the kitchen counter while preparing their tea.

 

“Stop what?”

 

“You know what”, he looks sternly at her. Walking to the couch, he hands Alex her mug, and resumes his seat at the foot of the couch, his mug held securely in his hands.

 

“You know he was right, Matt”, Alex takes a sip, and then adds, “those apartments were really expensive. Even with the funds in place, I have to work part time to afford my existing one. Do you really think with a baby on the way, I will be able to pay such high rents? Plus, those buildings seemed to have apartments big enough for a family only. Doesn’t make sense to rent two such huge apartments when one will house only one person- you, and another, only about one and a half- me and this baby.”

 

Matt looks at her thoughtfully, and then says, “You liked that area?”

 

“Very. But that’s not the point. The point is that I won’t be able to afford one”, Alex says, gazing at her tea.

 

For a while, Matt doesn’t say anything. Alex, unable to stop herself from over thinking things, starts to wonder if she had made the right choice- if she was ready for a baby at this stage in her life. Her reverie is broken when Matt speaks quietly, staring at his hands holding the mug, “Would it help if I moved in with you?”

 

Her head snaps up, and she asks, feeling a bit incredulous, “What?”

 

Matt turns so he is facing her, and speaks, “You said those flats were too expensive for us to be able to afford them _individually-_ what if we did it together? Cuts the expenses by half, really. As it is, we already spend a lot of time at each other’s flat- _literally, the whole day-_ so, what if we just rent one apartment instead of two?” and when Alex’s expression makes it clear that she is thinking it over, Matt rushes, “We can share the expenses. With our wages and trust funds combined, I think we would be able to do it, and actually save too- quite a bit.”

 

Alex smiles at his optimism, feeling herself getting convinced, “Well, it _is_ difficult to find good help these days. And that too free of cost? I can’t give up mine. What if somebody snatches you the moment I give you up?”, and giggles, feeling relieved.

 

Matt has a strange look in his eyes as he looks up at her, a soft smile playing on his lips, when he speaks, “No one can take me away from you, baby bird”, and then, as if realising he has said too much, adds, “I don’t think anybody will hire a way too crippled, traumatised-for-life-by-spending-way-too- much-time-with-a-curly-headed-talkative-crazy-girl, man as a help.”

 

Alex giggles, and then, realising what he has just said, throws a cushion at him. Matt, on his part, ducks his head to avoid it, and starts tickling the soles of her feet, causing her to laugh and squirm, trying to pull her feet away from his hands. They are both red-faced and breathless by the time Matt stops. Sitting up on the couch, Matt pulls Alex’s feet in his lap, and asks, “Are you sure you want to do this with me, Alex? Move in, I mean. People might assume- umm- _things_ about us.”

 

Alex, who until now was trying to pull her feet away from Matt, lest he resume his tickling, looks at him and speaks, “That wouldn’t be a first, exactly, isn’t it? Whatever they assume- it’s not true, and we know it. Then how does it matter? And, well, two people of different sexes, living in the same flat- it’s not uncommon, Matt.” Then, pulling her feet from his lap and scooting over to him, Alex gives Matt a one armed hug, her head resting on his shoulder, and gives him his answer, “Yes, I am sure.” This makes Matt smile, and he returns her hug by pulling her close, placing a kiss at the top of her head. Alex snuggles into him, softly adding, “Thank you.”

 

If she feels Matt’s arms tighten around her, she doesn’t say anything.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Anne, sweetheart, could you be a dear and shelve these books please?”

 

 “Of course, Mr. Freeman”, rolling her eyes at her forgetful employer, Alex picks up the books, and adds, turning towards the shelves, “and its Alex, not Anne.”

 

“Sorry, darling. Old brain, you know. Keep forgetting names.” Smiling, Alex shakes her head at the old man’s response, and starts shelving the books in the correct order. Having had worked at the place for about a year now, Alex was quite used to Mr. Freeman’s antics. He was a 65 year old widower, with only one son living in New York, who simply refused to give up his shop, claiming he loved the smell of books. Personally, Alex felt it was more due to the fact that he was lonely.

 

When Alex had taken the job, she had thought of it as some sort of a temporary arrangement. But the terms of her employment made her stay. Even though it didn’t pay much, the work conditions were absolutely fantastic- Alex and the other shop assistants were allowed to work at their own terms- Mr. Freeman would just tell them what all had to be done, and then let them work the way they wanted to. Whenever he felt like it, he would just treat all of them to tea or coffee and pastries. He was a bit grandfatherly, like that.

 

Which is why when, after observing her frequent loo trips, whether to throw up or otherwise, for days, Mr. Freeman asked Alex if she was pregnant, she couldn’t lie or hide it from him, and told him the truth. 

 

However, now, Alex feels that she may eventually come to regret her decision.  It seems like everyone has been given instructions to keep an eye on her. At the moment, George’s on duty, apparently. Well, if his constant hovering and ready-to-spring-into-action body lines are anything to go by, he is. Rolling her eyes, Alex goes up to George and smacks him on the arm, “What are you doing?”

 

“Erm- umm- nothing?” George stutters.

 

“If you have to do nothing, why don’t you just hover near the self-help section? Honestly! I’m pregnant, not made of glass. See? Fine! Won’t break. Not planning to anytime soon. Go and hover someplace else!” A little stunned by the abrupt speech, George nods and immediately takes off in the direction of the ‘Kids’ section. Herself taken back by her outburst, Alex is trying to refocus on her work when she sees Matt standing in the corner next to the entrance of the shop. Afraid that if allowed to stand there any longer Matt might knock down several volumes, Alex immediately makes her way towards him.

 

Of course, when Matt notices her making her way towards him, he waves enthusiastically and promptly stumbles into the book shelf kept in front of him, and stubs his toe. Rolling her eyes at him, Alex hisses at him, as soon as she reaches him, in a low voice, “What are you doing here?”

 

Looking a bit too pleased with himself, Matt answers, “Well, I just found us a house, Ms. Kingston.”

 

“A house?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Do I get to have a say? Or are you just going to be your smug idiot self?”

 

Sensing a mood shift coming up, Matt instantly beams at her, “As a matter of fact, you do. I see your lunch hour is about to begin. Yes? So- uh- maybe, you know, we can leave now, grab a bite on our way, and I can show you the place?”

 

Narrowing her eyes, Alex tilts her head, as if contemplating Matt and his sanity, not his words. For a moment contemplating his own sanity, Matt almost scrambles backwards when Alex nods her head once and says, “Okay, but first I need to inform Mr. Freeman.

 

~~*~~

 

Lunch is a simple affair- these days, everything made Alex nauseous- consisting of only simple sandwiches and some tea. All through the ride Alex stays calm and quiet, not saying a single word, not asking anything, and Matt worries that she might be working up a snit and might lash out at him for something he doesn’t know. When they reach the house, Matt’s agent, Henry, is already waiting for them near the driveway of the house. Once Alex gets down, Matt paces himself so he is only a few steps behind Alex, nervously hovering, apprehensive about her reaction to the house.

 

Once inside, Henry starts rattling off the pros and cons of the place, just as he did with Matt, to Alex. She, on her part, is aptly playing the role of an attentive listener, or is actually listening- Matt doesn’t know. When they are in the backyard, Henry excuses himself to answer a phone call and Matt, steeling himself, moves closer to Alex.

 

“So, what’s the verdict?”

 

“It’s a house, Matt. A house.”

 

“Yeah, well-“

 

“No. We talked about a flat. _This_ is not a flat.”

 

“Yes. Well, I told you ‘I have found a house’. And flats were way too expensive. So--”

 

“Oh, and this is cheaper?” Alex speaks, sarcastically. Her hip cocked to the side, and her hand resting on it, she continues, in a hushed, yet angry tone, “If there’s even a morsel of brain inside that floppy head of yours, you must remember that the reason we were moving in together was that the flats were too expensive for us to be able to afford them individually. It seems to have escaped your attention that this place is a house. Bound to be more expensive than the flats. I might just have to auction you off- not that anyone would buy- in market to afford one of these.”

 

Making a face, Matt starts explaining, “Its good then this place isn’t as expensive as you seem to think it is, eh? It’s actually quite affordable as compared to those flats. Has a beautiful front lawn, and a nice back yard for kids to play in. Nice rooms, beautiful kitchen. Our workplaces are nearby. Your doctor is right around the bend. Tell me you don’t love it.”

 

“Well, I like it, but-“

 

“Ah. Now that’s the thing to do, birdy. No ‘buts’ allowed, okay. You like it, we take it”, and then turning towards the door, before Alex can stop him, Matt hollers at the agent, “Oi, Henry!! We are taking it!”

 

~~*~~

 

For the next few days, Matt and Alex work on packing up their things. On the actual moving day, Matt asks Karen and Arthur to come over to help them, and dividing the work between the four of them, quickly assigns Alex the task of supervision [ _It’s not just supervision- you have to tell us where to keep the table, or sofa, or bed. It’s actually a very important task too, Alex!_ ] and feeding them once they have the house all set up. After much arguing, Matt allows her to carry only small objects and a few, relatively lighter boxes.

 

By the time they are done, all four of them are tired and are slumped over the couch, or whatever spots they could find. After a few moments, Alex excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and Karen immediately asks Matt, “So, not that I’m complaining, but why do we get all the heavy lifting, without asking, and Alex gets only the easiest of jobs to do? I understand she is your _‘baby bird’,_ but she isn’t exactly a baby or a bird, so-“, and before Matt could answer, Karen sits up straight, her eyes wide, her expression worried, and continues, “Oh my god, Matt!! Her workplace is close and- and there’s a hospital nearby—is Alex- is she fine? She has been excusing herself to go to the bathroom an awful lot lately—it isn’t a symptom of some illness, or is it?”

 

Matt, who until now had been wracking his brain to come up with an answer, immediately stops Karen’s worried babbling, “No! No. No. No. She is fine, okay. She is fine. Perfect, really.”

 

Arthur, who had until now been silently perusing the contents of the fridge and the bags of groceries to find something to eat or drink, asks Matt dryly, sipping on some apple juice, “So, I think, now the real question is- no offence to the ginger and her lack of stamina- why does your fridge have only juice boxes, and no beer? And green tea? Since when do you drink green tea?”

 

“Uh—“, Matt is fumbling around for an answer when Alex comes out of the bathroom and, as if on cue, the doorbell rings. Karen gets up to see who’s at the door, and calls out to the rest of the occupants of the hall, “Guys!! The food is here!!” Paying the delivery boy, she takes all the bags, bringing them to the living area where a small table is kept next to the couch and is currently serving as a make shift dining table. Quite a bit hungry herself, Alex quickly grabs some cutlery and plates from the kitchen and settles down next to Matt. However, as soon as she sits, she smells the mixed aroma of different food items and immediately rushes to the bathroom to throw up. Following her to the bathroom, Matt kneels next to her, holding her hair back for her, and makes soothing noises, his free hand rubbing Alex’s back in soft, soothing strokes.

 

Once she is done, he flushes the toilet while she tries to catch her breath. Helping her stand and leaving her to brush her teeth, Matt exits the bathroom and quickly makes his way to the kitchen to make some tea for Alex, pulling out a box of ginger cookies for her, handing them to her when she exits the bathroom, wiping her face. While Matt, then, settles down with others to have dinner, Alex sits a safe distance away from the table.

 

Karen looks at both of them speculatively, her eyebrow cocked, “So, spill.”

 

Matt is the first one to respond, Alex and Arthur giving Karen a questioning look. “What?”

 

“Well, obviously Alex is not well- she is throwing up and stuff. And its not new for you- Oh, C’mon- you immediately made her some tea and brought some ginger crackers. Your fridge and pantry is full of healthy stuff- really healthy stuff. I would have thought one of you was going on a diet, but some of the things are missing. We did all the heavy lifting while Alex was only ever allowed to move the lighter stuff. You two are moving in together. And-“ pulling out a book from under the table, she looks at Matt and Alex, who are looking at each other, Karen continues, “I found this in one of the boxes while unpacking. Now either Matt has a developed a newfound interest in reading, or you two have something to tell us. Now, either you two tell us what’s going on, or I spell it out.”

 

Arthur looks at her, confused, “What do you mean, Kaz?”

 

“Well,” Alex speaks up, fumbling for words, her fingers lacing and unlacing- Matt immediately knows she is a bit nervous, “what she means, Arthur, is –uh- that- uh- I’m pregnant.” At her admission, Karen immediately jumps at and hugs them, first Alex, and then, Matt, “Oh Gosh! Its so amazing!! You two are going to be parents!! Its such a wonderful news!! Congratulations, you guys”, and then, with her hands on her hips, pretends to be angry, “And I am very very pissed that you did not even tell us that you two were together. If I hadn’t guessed what was up, you two wouldn’t have told us for a very, very, VERY long time!” and then clasps her hands excitedly, “Aunt Karen! Ooh, I love it!! By the way, I call dibs at naming your child.”

 

As much as Matt wants what Karen said about him being the father of Alex’s child to be true, he knows that he needs to correct Karen’s assumptions. But before he can say anything, Alex corrects Karen, gently looking up at her from her seat, “Uh, well, Karen, I and Matt are not going to be parents.”

 

Thoroughly confused, Karen asks, “But you are pregnant, right? _You_ are going to have a baby.”

 

The expression on her face is now of amusement, “Yes, but, that doesn’t mean I _and_ Matt are going to have a baby. It simply means that I am going to have a baby.”

 

“But _how?_ “

 

Alex smirks, “You need me to explain you that?” Continuing, she explains to them about her one night stand, and adds, looking fondly at Matt, “Matt is just going to help me with bring up this baby.”

 

Afterwards, when Alex is napping, Karen and Arthur corner Matt. “Are you sure what you are doing is wise?” Karen asks.

 

Matt moves past her, “Sure? Of course, I’m sure. Haven’t been surer of anything else, ever.”

 

Arthur looks between them, and starts, “No. I think what she means is that do you think it’s wise to do this? You have been in love with Alex forever and haven’t even said anything to her about it. Now that she is pregnant, with somebody else’s child, if I may add, you have decided to help her with the baby and stuff. You have moved in with her. Is that really wise, Matt?”

 

“Well, I wasn’t going to let her do this all alone- She is my best friend!”

 

Karen counters, “Yes and you are in love with her. And living in close quarters 24x7? You have any idea how badly you could botch it all up?”

 

“Don’t you think I know that?” finally Matt lashes out, “Don’t you think I know this already- have considered it already? I know I’m her best friend. _Friend._ And that’s all I know I’m ever going to be. I know I can botch it all up and lose her friendship entirely. Have you even ever thought that that might be the reason I haven’t ever told her-Haven’t ever said anything to her? I can’t lose her- I can’t lose her friendship. And if a friend is all that I can be to her, then that is what I’ll be- her baby giraffe.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Look! I updated! In all seriousness, sorry for the delay. The muses are running ahead of me and missing out on stuff. Next chapters will be far more delayed, though. Blame homework, college and exams. Apologies in advance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turning, she runs into a hard body, and almost falls back, her hand on her chest. “David?”
> 
>  
> 
> Holding her around the waist to prevent her from falling, David beams at her, “ ’lo, Kingston! Falling for me already?”
> 
>  
> 
> Standing up, Alex swats him on his arm, turning away from him to hide her smile, “In your dreams, Uncle Dave!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ugh! How does it happen every time?” grumbling Alex tries to properly sort and arrange the books in the shelves. It was annoying, really. Mr. Freeman had asked both, her and George to sort the shelves and prepare inventories so he can accordingly order more books. They were both supposed to be working together, and here she was, doing it alone. Really, she is pregnant. Everyone should be helping her out. Huffing, Alex picks up another book from the pile next to her and arranges the books in alphabetical order, author-wise.She begins on the third pile, when she hears a dull thud, and groans- someone ran into the books piled on the floor, toppling it all over. Turning back to tell off the culprit, she finds a small boy of about 5-6 years, sitting near the toppled pile, his head hanging low. Immediately softening, Alex crouches down to the boy’s level, as much as she can, and holding his arm, gently picks him up, “Are you alright, sweetie?”

 

When the child sniffles an apology in response, as if trying to suppress a sob, lightly shaking his head, Alex starts making soothing circular motions on his arm, “Oh, darling. It’s fine, alright? Are you here with your mum? Is there anyone with you?”

 

Sniffling, the child answers, a tear rolling down his cheek, “My uncle. But I can’t find him now.”

 

Feeling her heart melt, Alex gently wipes the tear with her thumb, “Oh, honey. Are you lost?”

 

The child gives her a strange look. “No”, and then emphatically adds, “My uncle is lost.”

 

For a moment, Alex just stares at him, and then, stifling a chuckle, says, “Yes. Yes, of course. Do you need help finding him?”

The boy again shakes his head, looking up at Alex through his tousled mess of a hair, and gives her a teary smile, ‘Not really, but it would be nice.’

 

Shaking her head, Alex laughs, and ruffles his hair, “Come on, then. Let’s find your uncle.”

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

It takes them almost an hour to search the entire store, but there is no sign of the boy’s uncle. Being worried that it might come to this, Alex had already managed to wheedle out of the boy his own name- Noah, and his uncle’s name and certain details. The only thing Noah couldn’t tell her was his address or phone number. Alex cranes her neck and looks around, just to give one last glance and see if she is able to see anyone who matches the description Noah gave her of his uncle. Noah, being tired, had dozed off and is currently sleeping on Alex’s shoulder, his weight becoming heavier by the moment. Even if he was only 6 year old, it was getting difficult for Alex to carry the boy. Deciding to lay the boy down in a chair and straighten her own back, Alex makes her way towards the front desk, when a tall, skinny, and rather harried looking man rushes into the store. As soon as he spots Alex, his shoulders sag, his relief apparent. For some reason, Alex feels he is familiar. As if she has seen him somewhere- met him. However, before she can examine or think about it, he is standing in front of her, ready to take the sleeping boy from her. Her instincts kicking in, Alex tucks Noah closer, and placing a protective hand on his back, takes a step back.

 

 

His eyes widening, the man lightly shakes his head and points towards the sleeping child. “That’s my nephew, Noah.”

 

Alex narrows her eyes at him. She opens her mouth to question him when she feels the child stir in her arms. Rubbing his eyes, Noah turns his head towards the man and a broad grin appears on his face. “Uncle Dave!”

 

 

Smiling, Alex shakes her head, letting the man- _Dave-_ take Noah from her. “So-um-Uncle Dave, I hope you’ll be more careful with your nephew now onwards?”

 

 

Shifting the boy in his arms, the man smiles sheepishly. “Yes. Yes, of course. And thank you so much for looking after him”, and extends his hand towards her, “I’m David, by the way. David Tennant.”

 

 

Even though she doesn’t take his hand, Alex smiles, mimicking him. “I’m Alex. Alex Kingston.”

 

“Its a lovely name”, then glancing towards the boy, who was once again asleep, “I hope he didn’t bother you much. We were just looking at some books, when he wandered off, and somehow, I wasn’t able to find him here. I thought he had slipped out.”

 

“He was here alright. I found him when he toppled over a pile of books.”

 

“Oh. I am really sorry,” David apologises.

 

Waving a hand, Alex smiles, “Oh, no. Its fine. It’ll take me some while, but I’ll have them re-sorted again. I’m just glad he found me.”

 

David immediately offers, “I could help you with it, if you like.”

 

 

If she did it all by herself, it would take a considerable bit of time. Biting her lip, Alex looks in the direction of the kids’ section where she is supposed to be working, and then looks at David. She chances a look at Noah. David follows her gaze, and smiles. “If you have two chairs, I can make a makeshift bed for him. I would really hate to leave you alone to re-work at something destroyed at the hands of my stupidity.”

 

 

~~*~~

 

“No! Not like this!”

 

 

Taken aback, David sits back on his heels, and looks at Alex. “How? I don’t understand. I thought I was doing it correctly.”

 

 

“It’s not wrong. But it’s not right, either. Look at how I am arranging them”, she gestures towards the pile she has arranged. He looks at her pile, and then looks at his. He admits slowly, “There is some difference.”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Alex looks at him as he settles down on the floor, cross legged, to rearrange the pile, and turns back towards the shelves to continue with her work.

 

 

“But, mine is right too”, David mumbles, and starts rearranging the pile according to Alex’s instructions.

 

A few moments pass, both of them working in silence.

 

 

When David messes up the pile once again, Alex looks at him and huffs, “You know, your nephew was much more efficient when he toppled it over.”

 

David laughs. “Just one more time, yeah? I promise I’ll try to do it properly.”

 

“Okay. But its last time, alright?” when he nods, Alex gives him a skeptical look and starts showing him again.

 

This time, he messes it up again, intentionally. “No! I told you not like this”, taking hold of his hand, Alex corrects him. Suddenly, as if realising something, she flushes and pulls her hand away from his. “See, how I am doing it? This is how you are supposed to arrange them. How difficult is it?”

 

Half an hour later, when the shelves are all sorted, Alex locks up the store, David standing next to her with a still sleeping Noah in his arms. Turning towards David, Alex smiles at him. “Well, thanks for the help. It would have taken me quite a bit of time doing it myself.”

 

“Oh, please, no. Don’t thank me. I should thank you for finding my little imp and taking care of him, really”, David smiles back at her, walking alongside.

 

 

Noticing that he is walking in the same direction, Alex frowns. “Are you--”

 

His eyes widening, David immediately shakes his head. “Oh. No. No. My sister- Noah’s mother—her house is in this direction. I didn’t know that you--”

 

He rambles, in a way that reminds her of Matt. Giggling, Alex keeps her hand on his, and smiles, “Relax. It’s fine. I think I’d like some company.”

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

After changing into a comfortable set of pyajamas, Alex settles down on the couch, a cup of tea in her hand. She had bid David and Noah good night about 15 minutes ago when they had reached her house. It was a fun evening, really. But Alex can’t help but feel a bit odd, a strange feeling niggling at the back of her mind. There was something about David that felt familiar. She couldn’t help but feel that she had met him before today.

 

She is thinking over it, when Matt enters the living room, humming some song, off-key, and a cardboard box in his hands. Alex recognises it as one of the boxes she had used to pack up her apartment when they were shifting. Although it has almost been a month since they had shifted, there were still some boxes that had to be opened and arranged. Apparently, Matt was utilising his day off.

 

 

“What are you doing?” Alex asks when Matt places the box on the table in front of her, and flops down on the bean bag.

 

 

“Clearing up your mess, apparently. Do you even know what all was in those boxes from your apartment?” he scoffs, and pushes the box towards her, “Here. I have sorted almost all the leftover stuff. This,” he points towards the box, “I have no idea whether to keep this or throw this away.”

 

 

Alex protests and throws a cushion at him, “Oi!” and pulling the box towards her, starts rifling through it. After a moment, Matt starts pulling stuff out of the box and commenting on it.

 

 

“Oh. Look at this! Haven’t seen this since the third grade!”

 

“Woah! Didn’t know you still had it, Tiny. You broke it-when? Ah. Seventh grade!”

 

 

“Wo ho ho—“, he begins, and quickly shuts up when Alex gives him what he calls The Death Glare, an indication that she is beyond irritated.

 

 

A few moments pass in complete silence when Matt comes across another unfamiliar object. This time, without any commentary, he dangles the watch in front of him, and look at Alex questioningly.

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“I thought you didn’t like this brand?” Matt questions, showing Alex the watch. Taking it from his hands, Alex looks at the watch carefully, and frowns, “No. I don’t. I don’t even remember buying it.”

 

“Somebody might have gifted it?”

 

 

Genuinely confused, Alex replies, “No. So far as I remember, no.” Looking at Matt, she questions, “Are you sure it’s not yours?”

 

 

Matt nods, “Yes. It isn’t mine.” Alex hums, and Matt adds, “May be one of our friends left it here?”

 

 

“May be,” Alex begins, biting her lip, and then stops, recalling something, “oh. No. I think I know where this came from.”

 

Matt looked at her quizzically, “Who?”

 

 

In response, Alex looked at him meaningfully. Realisation dawning, Matt’s mouth fell open. “Oh”

 

 

“Yes, oh. Well—at least I think so”, Alex responds, looking at the watch as if she expected it to contain the answers.

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

She is helping a customer find a particular book when she feels someone’s eyes on her. Turning, she runs into a hard body, and almost falls back, her hand on her chest. “David?”

 

 

Holding her around the waist to prevent her from falling, David beams at her, “ ’lo, Kingston! Falling for me already?”

 

Standing up, Alex swats him on his arm, turning away from him to hide her smile, “In your dreams, Uncle Dave!”

 

 

Smiling, David follows her as she moves towards the back of the store where some sofas and a table are kept in a cozy corner. Ever since that night, he has been coming to the store rather frequently, the banter and Alex’s company making up for the extra distance he has to travel every time he comes to the store. Alex busies herself with making tea for both of them and David pulls out a packet of chocolate mint cookies from his bag. Alex seemed to crave those cookies, sometimes calling him specifically to ask, nay, order him to bring a pack of them. He hadn’t expected it, but they had become quite good friends, and quicker than he would have ever thought.

 

“So, I was thinking--”, he begins, and then looks at Alex, taking the tea from her when she extends the mug towards him. Now that she is looking at him, he hesitates a little, “Um—so—Patricia- my sister- she is having a party on Thursday. I was wondering if you’d like to join me?”

 

Stopping in the middle of taking a bite of the cookies, Alex looks at him. Swallowing the chunk, she speaks, “Uh- Dave- I’m sorry, but I can’t. I—“

 

“Ah. Its- it’s fine. No- no worries. It’s fine. I was just- just asking as friends- nothing more.”

 

 

“No. Not that. Dave, um,” she hesitates a bit, and then continues, “I actually have an appointment with my doctor on Thursday- can’t really come.”

 

“Are you alright? Is something wrong? Alex, did- did something happen?”, David asks immediately, worried. Shaking her head, Alex smiles and sits back, “No. Actually I’m pregnant. It’s just a routine check up.”

 

His eyes widen, his mind running a mile a minute, “You are-you are pregnant? You never said you were married.”

 

Looking at him calmly, Alex replies, “No. I am not married. And before you ask, no boyfriend either”, and narrows her eyes at him, their message perfectly clear.

 

They sit in silence for a while, both of them sipping their tea, and enjoying the rain. She is almost lost in the raindrops chasing each other down the window pane, when David breaks the silence, suddenly speaking, startling her, “You know, I thought somebody must have snagged you by now.”

 

 

She wants to glare at him, but he again has that boyish grin on his face that makes it impossible for her to remain angry at him. The more she looks at him, the more she is struck by that peculiar feeling of familiarity. She has wracked her brain for quite some time, but it feels like something just on the outer limit of her reach, never completely within her grasp. She is lost in her thoughts and does not notice that he is speaking to her, his Scottish brogue seeping through, “You know, I don’t know why, but that day, when I first met you, I thought I had seen you somewhere- met you before. Did we ever--?”

 

 

“Huh?” breaking out of her reverie, Alex responds, biting her lip, genuinely perplexed, “Uh-no. I don’t think so? I mean, I don’t know, really. I felt so too, but thought it was ridiculous- I don’t remember meeting you ever.”

 

 

David grins, “Well, we mustn’t have, then. I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to forget a beautiful woman in a hurry.”

 

 

“Flirt”, Alex laughs, and takes a sip of her tea, both of them slipping into a companionable silence.

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

“A little to the right, I think.”

 

“Like this?”

 

“Umm- I think left was better---No! That’s too left! Back, back—“

 

“Here?”

 

Matt huffs as Alex thinks over it, her eyebrows furrowing. “Is it a payback?”

 

“Payback? For what?”

 

 

Earlier that evening they had found out the baby’s sex. Matt’s excitement had amused Alex greatly. “It’s a girl, Alex!” beaming, he repeated it again and again, promising her he was going to spoil her yet unborn girl rotten once she enters the world. His overexcited shopping though- it was a different matter entirely. Insisting that they needed to buy some baby stuff, he had dragged a protesting Alex with him on his impromptu shopping spree.

 

“Look at all this cool stuff!” Matt exclaimed, picking up a plush monkey wearing a bow tie. Before she could blink, he rushed off towards another section, only to return with two small onesies, and, god knows from where, a football. “Oh! Finally, I’ll get a footie partner!”

 

 

“Matt, she is not even born yet! We still have time before,” she waved her arms about, “all this is needed”, taking the football out of their cart, Alex scrunched her nose, “and especially this.”

 

 

“Complain all you want, baby bird, I’m going to spoil the little munchkin rotten!”

 

Alex had finally managed to get him to leave the store after almost two hours ( _Jeez! Someone’s becoming grumpy!),_ his arms full of bags filled with toys and clothes, boot of the car choking full of some more things.

 

At the moment, they are in the nursery- or the room that Alex intends to turn into nursery- and Matt is up on the ladder trying to paint the wall. “Alex, I have been standing here for an hour, waiting for you to decide where you want the sodding piglet to be painted. Now, either you tell me, or I’ll paint it wherever I want!”

 

Scratching her head, Alex bites her lip and looks at him, still unsure where she wants it, when the doorbell rings. Instantly perking up, Alex gets up to open the door, a grumbling Matt following after her.

 

 

“David?” opening the door, Alex asks, ushering him in, “I thought you had a party?”

 

Entering, David turns towards Alex, “Yeah, was a rubbish one, though. I thought I’d come to see you,” and then added, a little sheepishly, “You don’t mind, do you?”

 

Grinning, Alex shakes her head, and pulls him towards the living room, “Maaatttt!”

 

Halting in his steps, David frowns, “Matt? Is he-is he your-“ He leaves the question unfinished when Alex shakes her head, “Matt? Oh, no. No. He is just a friend- my best friend, mind you.”

 

Matt, who just came up behind her, looks up at David,. “Oh. Hello. Since Curly here didn’t bother with introductions, I am Matt. You must be David, if I’m correct”, when he nods, Matt adds, “Well, Come on in.”

 

 

Entering the living area, Matt immediately moves to the kitchen, leaving Alex and David to talk. Try as he might, he can’t help but feel wary about David. He has heard about David, of course. Alex loves to talk, and one of his favourite parts is when she tells him about her day, twittering all over the place- every bit a baby bird. For past few weeks, however, everything had included David in some form. He steals a glance towards the living area. Alex is talking animatedly, no doubt telling him about their trip to the doctor’s and the subsequent shopping spree. From his vantage point, Matt, however, can see the besotted look on David’s face and feels his heart clench. He is about to turn away when Alex turns to look at him and smiles. _Probably telling him about her goofy friend,_ Matt thinks, picking up the tray full of snacks and tea, and takes it towards the living area.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Sorry for the delay. You guys have been utterly lovely with all these reviews. Big hugs! xoxo

_“Fuck”, her head thrown back, Alex gasps. Chuckling gruffly, his breath hot on her ear, he laves his tongue at the spot he had just bitten, soothing the sting. She can feel his arousal, his length hot and heavy in her hands. Curling her fingers around the base, she moves her hand up and down, making him groan._

_Moving down, he removes her hand from his length, the sensations too much for him. Pinning her hands on the either side of her head with his hands, he hovers over her._

_“Please,” Alex can’t help but arch into him._

_The grin on his face almost predatory, he swiftly moves, his mouth engulfing her breast. Shifting their hands so both her wrists are pinned under his left wrist, he brings his right hand down to work on her other breast._

_Her hands trapped, completely at his mercy, Alex throws her head back, moaning. The hot and wet sensation of his mouth on her breast, his other hand rolling the turgid bud of the other breast between his finger and thumb, Alex feels like she has been set on fire, ready to combust._

_Focusing his attention on her other breast, he changes the positions of his hands- his right hand holding her wrists down, the left working on her breast. Lightly pinching one rosy tip between his finger and thumb, he scrapes his teeth along the other. The sensations adding to her arousal, Alex wraps her legs around his waist, moving against him. The pressure is not enough, and she whinges._

_He moves suddenly, capturing her lips in a hungry, demanding kiss, pressing her into the mattress. Without any warning he pinches her swollen, and so far neglected, clit..._

Gasping, Alex sits up, her breathing harsh, stray curls sticking to her sweaty skin. She gulps in the much needed air, trying desperately to calm down her erratic heart beats. She shivers, taking in her surroundings, and squeezes her eyes tightly shut once, trying to shake off her dream. It was the third time she had had that dream. Sequence largely the same, the dream wasn’t always the same. Every time it seemed she got in a bit earlier, staying a little later than intended, and woke up pretty much the same way.

 

Glancing at her bedside clock, Alex sighs. _Only 3 a.m.. Still few hours left for the morning._ Letting out a yawn, Alex rubs her sleepy eyes. She shakes her head, and picks up her robe, wrapping it around herself, shuffling out of the room. She pauses outside Matt’s bedroom, contemplating whether or not to wake him. Deciding against waking him up, Alex makes her way towards the kitchen to make herself some tea.

 

 

Allowing the kettle to boil, Alex lies down on the couch in the living area, thinking about the strange dreams she has been having. Of course she had read about pregnancy hormones, but there was something about these dreams. Something different. They feel real. Like a memory.

 

And then there was that man. May be he was a figment of her imagination, but he feels familiar. Right down to his lanky frame. Try as she might, his identity always feels out of her reach. Just beyond the limits of her grasp. And it frustrates her to no end. Subconsciously rubbing a hand on the side of her small bump, Alex pulls the afghan from the back of the couch and wraps it around herself.

 

And this is how Matt finds her in the morning. He thinks of waking her, but decides against it, shaking his head when he sees her shivering and curling into herself to ward against the morning chill. Instead, he gets a blanket from his room and drapes it over her. He rubs his hands lightly on her blanket covered arms to warm her up. Alex sighs sleepily, moving further into him, trying to seek his warmth. Smiling lovingly, Matt drops a kiss in her hair and gets up, busying himself with breakfast.

 

Alex wakes up an hour later. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she takes a seat on the kitchen table. “Mornin’”, Alex mumbles.

 

 

“Ah. Morning, sleepyhead,” smiling cheerfully, Matt puts down the book he was reading and eyes Alex. Her elbows on table, her hands supporting her head, she looks like she could use some more sleep.

 

“Nest not comfortable enough for the baby bird?” he teases, nodding in the direction of the couch.

 

Following his gaze, Alex looks at the couch, and then turns towards him. Slumping forward, her head on her folded hands, she shrugs.

 

Matt sighs and continues, “It can’t be good for you, Alex. Neither for you, nor for the baby. I don’t think it’s good. At least you should sleep properly.”

 

“Matt, I-“, she begins, but stops when Matt continues, clearly upset. “Alex, this is the third time this week I have seen you sleep on the couch. If there is any problem, tell me, maybe I can help you with it. But you have to take care of your health.”

 

She raises her head. Resting her chin on her thumbs, she once again shrugs, “I know that, Matt. I- I just couldn’t sleep. Came out to make some tea for myself, and fell asleep here.”

 

Matt is immediately concerned, “Are you alright? Any sort of pain, nausea, aches, anything? Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

 

Sighing, Alex bats his hand away. “ ’m fine, Matt. It’s just- it’s just I have been having weird dreams.”

 

“What, like nightmares?”

 

“No, not nightmares,” she clarifies, rolling her shoulders and neck, trying to relieve the stiffness, “just weird dreams.”

 

“Hmm,” he eyes her carefully, trying to ascertain if she is trying to hide her problems, and speaks, taking a sip of his tea, “still, you should have woken me up.”

 

Her eyebrow raised, Alex teases, “And what would you have done? Chased them away with you razor sharp wit?”

 

His eyes narrowing, Matt replies, “I still could have helped. We could have talked or something. That would have been better than sitting here alone, at any rate.”

 

It is a mark of how tired she is, that Alex concedes, humming sleepily. Keeping his book aside, Matt gets up. He kisses the top of her head, squeezing her shoulders lightly, “Have your breakfast, and take a nap. Wake me up next time you have such a dream, okay?”

 

~~*~~

 

As suggested, Alex takes a nap after breakfast. When she wakes up a couple of hours later, feeling energised, she looks for Matt. Alex tries to stifle her giggles, miserably failing when she finds him in the bathroom down the hall, struggling with the laundry.

 

Resuming her position on the couch, Alex snuggles into the blanket. “I can do it myself, Alex. We don’t need to pay for a simple fix up of this machine. I know how to do it”, she mimics Matt, her act failing because of her giggling.

 

“Argh! It was a stupid idea, I know”, Matt groans, making Alex giggle once more. “Okay, you have two choices now, Alex. You can either shut up, let me work in peace”, he looks at the dirty laundry with disgust, and continues, “Or, you haul your pretty ass over here and help me.”

 

“Can I make fun of you if I help you with the laundry?”

 

“You can do whatever you want, Alex.” He shakes his head, not really expecting Alex to help. He knows she must be tired. As a result, he is completely taken by surprise when Alex bounces inside the bathroom, sitting on the small stool in front of him. “Wh-what? I was only joking, Alex. You should go and rest. I can do this alone.”

 

“What, and leave you alone? Oh no. A girl needs her share of fun. And this is comedy gold,” she laughs, picking up the packet of detergent. She pours a good amount of it in the bucket, working up the foam methodically.

 

Matt looks at her for a moment. Taking the packet from her hands, he repeats, “No. Alex, you should probably rest. Three nights on couch? Your back must be killing you by now.”

 

Snatching the packet from him, Alex gives him a bored look, and mimics his tone, “And I’m telling you to shut up, and let me help you.”

 

They work in coordination, with Matt scrubbing the clothes and Alex rinsing them. With intermittent water fights, they manage to finish the washing in few hours, both of them considerably wet. When they collapse on the couch after putting the clothes on the line for drying, they are both dripping water all over the couch, none of them really caring.

 

“Oh gosh, I shouldn’t have ever listened to you when you said you could repair the machine by yourself,” Alex groans.

 

Turning towards her, Matt looks at her tiredly, and promptly dissolves into giggles. Alex looks at him in confusion, and huffs when Matt continues to laugh. “What?”

 

Instead of answering, Matt drags Alex up with him, walking towards the mirror in the hall, tugging at her curls. Alex gives him an exhausted look and turns towards the mirror. She tries to hide her giggle at spotting the foam still in her hair, but fails. Moving her fingers through her curls, she leans into Matt, still giggling. Hugging her sideways, Matt drops kisses the top of her head, his expression quickly changing to worried when Alex gasps.

 

 

He looks down at her and sees her blank expression, her hands on her abdomen. “What? What is it? Alex, are you okay?”

 

“No. Yeah. No, I’m fine. I’m okay. I think so,” she answers, surprise evident in her voice.

 

“Riight, okay.”

 

“No, I’m fine. I just felt something funny for a moment,” she reassures him, “like something fluttering inside me; I have been feeling like that for a few days now. Maybe it’s the baby.”

 

Matt doesn’t feel convinced by her assurance. “Weird dreams, funny fluttering? Alex, something could be wrong with the baby. Maybe we should get you to the hospital.”

 

“No- I’m _fine_ , Matt,” Alex insists, but Matt can’t help but feel worried about her. “Alex, please. For me. We have to go for your regular appointment anyway. Let’s get this also checked up.”

 

She looks at him. She knows that it might just be the baby moving about ( _the books said so_ ), but she doesn’t like seeing him worried. Biting her lip, Alex concedes, “Okay.”

 

“Okay. Good. Grab your coat, Kingston. I’ll just get my wallet,” he jumps to his feet.

 

Flabbergasted, Alex looks at him, “What, now? I thought we were going in the afternoon.”

 

Steering her towards the door, his hand on the small of her back, Matt grabs her coat from the stand, “Of course, now.”

 

He helps her into the coat. Locking the door, he turns towards Alex. “Maybe I should get the car out. Walking to the hospital may not be such a good idea.”

 

Slightly annoyed now, Alex pulls at his hand, tugging him towards her, “No. We are walking. I’m not fragile, and the hospital is only two blocks from here.”

 

He is still not sure, but gives into her, “Fine. We’ll walk.”

 

“Good,” Alex nods, and pulls him with her on the street, both of them walking towards the hospital, her fingers laced through his.

 

~~*~~

 

 

_Her head thrown back, Alex groans feeling his hot breath on her neck. His fingers ghost over her, every touch fuelling a fire deep inside her._

_He kisses down the column of her throat, nibbling and leaving bites all over. Dancing over her skin, his fingers move lower. He tickles the area around her navel lightly, chuckling gruffly when he feels a shiver run through her body._

_“God, please!” urging him to move, Alex arches into him, her head tipped back, and moans when he moves lower, his tongue curling around her nipple. Like a well coordinated move, his fingers move even lower, his hand cupping her sex._

_She is still sensitive from her earlier orgasm, and the warmth and pressure of his palm on her sends a current shooting up her spine. “Fuck!”_

_His finger lightly moves over her clit, and all of a sudden everything is a bit too much. Moving quickly, Alex grasps his hands in hers and in a display of immense strength, flips him on his back, “High time now.”_

_Moving down his body, she mimics his earlier moves, and teases his nipple with the tip of her tongue, rolling the other between her thumb and forefinger. Refusing to let her take charge, he moves, flipping them so Alex is on her back. In a swift move, he is inside her. A loud moan escaping her lips, Alex throws her head back. There is nothing gentle about the way they move. It’s a hard and fast rhythm that he sets, Alex urging him on, her heels digging in his back._

_His narrow hips pumping furiously, he slides his hands under her legs, pulling them over his shoulders. The new angle is deep, the pain delicious, and Alex feels herself climbing higher towards that precipice._

~~*~~

 

 

Putting the pencil down, Matt looks at his sketch. He can imagine Karen groaning and Arthur rolling his eyes when they look at the sketch. It’s a sketch of Alex from that morning; her expression when she snuggled further into the blankets for warmth. Smiling to himself, he tucks the sketch away in his folder. _Another sketch Alex will never know about._

 

He suddenly feels tired, exhaustion creeping on him. Pulling a set of track pants out, he makes for the bathroom, in preparation for bed, when he hears a tentative knock on the door. Frowning he glances at the clock, noting the lateness of the hour. He is about to open the door, when Alex peaks inside. “Matt? Are you awake?”

 

If it was any other time, he would have teased her mercilessly for asking the obvious. Now, he just feels an apprehension rise within him. He rushes towards her, throwing the door open. “Alex, are you- are you alright?”

 

“Yeah, fine,” following him inside, Alex mumbles.

 

“Weird dream?” Matt inquires.

 

She slowly nods. “You said I should wake you up if it happens again.”

 

He smiles, “Yes, and I’m glad you decided to listen to me.” Indicating towards the clothes in his hands, Matt continues, “I’ll just change into my pyjamas, and then we can talk, or play, or do whatever you want, okay?”

 

In response, Alex smiles sleepily, and nods.

 

Quickly finishing with his routine, Matt exits the bathroom. The sight that meets his eyes when he enters his bedroom makes a warm feeling steal over him. Alex is lying on the side of the bed he usually prefers, curled around his pillow. A few curls that have managed to escape her night-time braid are fluttering around her face, as if softly kissing her.

 

Putting his towel away, Matt situates himself on the other side of the bed. He tucks the blankets around her, watching her snuggle further into them. Opting against switching off the lights, he dims them a little. He kisses her forehead and smiles when she sighs. _Probably having a nice dream,_ he thinks as he lies on his back and turns to face Alex, his heart feeling ready to burst when she sleepily moves into him, her hand curling around his wrist. _Good night, love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews make me super happy! =)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last night was one of the best sleeps she had had in past few weeks, and she doesn’t want to wake up. Not just yet. Burrowing further into the blanket, she twists and turns a bit, making herself comfortable and snuggles into the warm body behind her
> 
>  
> 
> And immediately stiffens. It all feels scarily familiar.

 

 

 

 

 

Snaking a hand outside the blanket, Alex checks the clock kept on the bedside table. 7.30 am. ‘’still early’, she thinks, tugging the blanket higher to ward off against the morning chill. Despite the sunlight streaking in through the window, the room is cold, and she doesn’t want to abandon the warmth of her bed.

 

Last night was one of the best sleeps she had had in past few weeks, and she doesn’t want to wake up. Not just yet. Burrowing further into the blanket, she twists and turns a bit, making herself comfortable and snuggles into the warm body behind her

 

And immediately stiffens. It all feels scarily familiar.

 

As quickly as she can get up, Alex sits up and lifts the blanket. For a moment she feels scared, uncertain of who she might find under it, and sighs in relief when she realises it’s only Matt.

  

A small smile stretches across her lips. His hair is sticking in every direction, criss-cross lines mar his face where it is pressed against the pillow- she has hardly ever seen him like this, especially not since he has formed the little idea in his head that it is his job to take care of her, and she thinks, he looks like a tiny puppy, curling in on himself against the chill. Alex presses a soft, barely there, kiss against his temple, lightly threading her fingers through his hair. Tucking the blanket around him, she gets up, deciding that any more attempts to go back to sleep would be futile.

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

She is almost done when Matt walks into the kitchen area, scratching his head. Looking up from the stove, Alex smiles at him, “Morning! Breakfast will be done in a moment.”

 

“ ‘Morning” he blearily blinks at her and takes a seat at the table. Yawning, he stretches his limbs a bit, and mumbles sleepily, “You know you could have woken me up? I could have helped you.”

 

 Alex glances at him once. Turning to remove the pan from heat, she turns off the stove. She hums in response, and speaks, “I could have, but I didn’t want to. You went to bed quite late.” Matt opens his mouth to protest. Cutting him off, she continues, “Knowing you, it was probably quite a bit after I nodded off. I thought it best to let you sleep a bit more”, and then adds cheekily, “I need my artist fully rested.”

 

 “Yours, am I?” he looks at her through his fringes, giving her a lopsided smile.

 

 Sipping her tea, she grins at him brightly, “ ’Course. Everybody else can find their own.”

 

 He laughs at her statement. Truth be told, he had slept quite a bit after Alex had slept off, observing her sleeping form to assure himself she was alright and not having any nightmares, or as she put it, ‘weird dreams’. And right now, he does feel rather tired. But moments like these made him smile. He hasn’t ever especially observed this, and as cheesy a thought as it is, her smile is the best energiser for him, and he feels ready to face the day.

  

Alex sits across from him, and taking a bite of her toast, speaks, “By the way, your art teacher called.”

  

He sips his tea, his eyes going wide as the hot beverage burns his tongue. Swallowing the mouthful, he pants a bit. His eyes water as he tries to soothe the burn. “What did he say?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex pushes a glass of fresh juice towards him, and answers, “Oh. Nothing much. Just that you haven’t been attending regularly, and that he had asked you to exhibit some of your works in his upcoming exhibition, and you declined.”

 

“Oh.” He is hardly able to take a sip of the juice, when Alex takes the glass away from him.

 

“Oh? Just oh?!” she narrows her eyes at him; “you were offered an exhibition, Matt! It’s a big opportunity!”

 

He shrugs, “It’s just an exhibition.”

 

She looks at him incredulously, knowing fully well how much his sketches and paintings mean to him. “Oh really? And what was all that ‘God, I wish I get it’, ‘Oh God, Alex it’s going to be so amazing!’ about? You have been working your ass off to get this, and now you are saying you don’t want it? Tell me that doesn’t sound stupid.”

 

Without looking up from his plate, Matt mumbles, “Well, that was then. This is now.”

 

She throws a napkin at his head. “It doesn’t even make any sense. You are so close to achieving your dreams, and you are going to throw it all away? Why?”

 

“Okay, first, it’s not like Mr. Thompson is handing me my dreams on a silver platter. That would require a lot of work. A month is not enough time.” Pausing, he sips his tea, much cooler now, and continues, “Besides, I didn’t want to. I’d rather be here with you. What if something happens?”

 

Alex stares at him. Sometimes, she thinks, Matt can be really thick. “I’m hardly fragile, Matt. And I am sure you would anyways be here, should the need arise. It’s next month. I know you have some pieces you don’t show to others in that cupboard of yours.” Spearing through the fruit, she continues between bites, “Besides, it’s not as if it’s your own show- it’s Mr. Thompson’s. He just wants you to display some of your works. It could be good for you.”

 

He remains unconvinced. “Alex, I-“

 

“Matt, please.” Scrunching her face, she stretches out her words. “Please, please, please! For me, please?”

 

He looks at her, almost on the verge of giving in, but doesn’t do so immediately. Such occasions are very rare when Alex requests him like this to do something, and today she is almost pleading. It is entertaining, and it gives him an idea. “Fine, but I have one condition.”

 

Her smile is instantaneous and his heart melts a little at how happy she is for him. “What’s that?”

 

He thinks of the story she had given him to read a few months ago, and the ones before that, and he tells her his condition, “You get your stories published.”

 

Her eyes widen, and she starts to protest immediately, “What? No. I’m not getting all that stupid stuff published. Who’ll publish it anyways?”

 

“Hey”, he scowls at her, “don’t you go about calling all that work stupid. I love them. You may not make sense at times, but your stories are just brilliant. And I bet we could find a good publisher if we put our minds to it.”

 

She fires, “What if I don’t want to publish?”

 

He shoots back, “What if I don’t want to exhibit?”

 

She narrows her eyes at him, and he knows he has won the deal. Getting up, he keeps his plate in the sink, and turns to Alex. She still has her eyes narrowed at him, and his lips curl up in a smile despite every conscious effort. He taps her nose, and chuckles when she wrinkles her nose, “It’s a deal, Alex.”

 

“Yes, but that doesn't mean I’m happy about it”, she stabs at her fruit, annoyed, and Matt has to stifle the laughter that threatens to escape him. Grinning, he presses a quick kiss to her forehead. “Eat up, baby bird. I like my writer well fed.”

 

 

~~*~~

 

  

“God, Kaz. No!” hands busy in checking the order of new books that has just arrived, Alex balances the phone between her ear and shoulder, “and for the last time- I’m not going to ‘get Matt to sort myself out!’”

 

“Well, you are still having those sex dreams, aren’t you? How long has it been? 3 weeks, or so?” Karen’s voice sounds from the other end and Alex regrets telling her about the dreams she had been having.

 

“First, it’s only been two weeks, and, second- _they are not sex dreams!_ They are memories. At least I think they are memories. I don’t know. They just feel so real. Only this morning- it was only Matt, but I still felt like it had happened before. A weird sort of Déjà vu.”

 

Alex tries to explain Karen but she realises her mistake as soon as the words leave her mouth. Karen’s voice, almost a screech now, is pure torture for her ear, “You were in bed with Matt?! You actually slept with him?!”

 

“A little louder; I don’t think the customers have been able to hear you yet”, she rolls her eyes. She knows Karen can’t see her eye roll, but it gives her a sort of satisfaction. “I slept in his bed with him. I did not sleep with him, Karen.”

 

“Does that even make any sense?”

 

Alex can hear the frown in Karen’s voice, and she sighs, “I did not have sex with Matt, Karen. He’s my best friend. Do you know how bad things will be is that happens?”

 

“Aha! So you do want him!” Karen’s voice on the other end is victorious and Alex doesn’t know what to do, so she simply says, “Shut up, Kaz.”

 

“Aww”, Karen almost coos, teasing Alex, “I would suggest getting yourself some of that baby giraffe- even though the imagery wants me to vomit all over the place- but yeah, if that’s what your deal is. I bet he’ll be more than happy to do it for you.”

 

_Can this day be over already, please?_ Alex tightly squeezes her eyes, as Karen’s giggles filter through the phone. She keeps the list in her hands on table and looks around for a secluded corner so no one overhears her.  

 

Coming to stand behind a bookshelf, she almost hisses, “Karen, I swear if you say any of this to Matt, I’m-“

 

“Relax”, Karen reassures her, “Do you seriously think I am going to say all of this to Matt? Have I ever done any such thing?”

 

Alex has to admit the redhead has always been like a secured vault when it came to their conversations no matter how much Matt and Arthur had tried to wheedle things out of her. She begrudgingly replies, “Yes, well, I’m still going to ask you to keep a check on that Scottish tongue around him.”

 

“I’m not the one who has the hots for baby giraffe”, Karen laughs and Alex can almost hear the smirk in her voice. She almost grits her teeth, “For the last time, Karen, he is my best friend. I don’t think of him like that. And you have to stop calling him that. Only I get to call him baby giraffe.”

 

“Awww”, Karen coos, “You are so precious.”

 

“Shut up, Karen”, she grumbles, only slightly annoyed, “And I have to go now. I’m at work, and I can’t keep wasting my time like this.”

 

“Wait! We are still on for tonight, aren’t we?” Karen asks before Alex can disconnect the call.

 

Alex tries to think of what Karen can be talking about, but nothing immediately comes to her mind. “On for what?”

 

“For dinner, you dummy! We talked about it last week, remember? God, those hormones are doing your brain in!”

 

She can hear Karen’s Scottish brogue thickening, and she suddenly remembers, “Oh. Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Yes. Yes, we are still on. 7-ish?” She only hopes Matt has a memory better than hers.

 

“See you then. And, Alex,” Karen pauses for effect, and then continues, “don’t forget my advice.”

 

“Shut up, Karen.” Softly laughing, Alex disconnects the call. She glances at her watch and tries to assess if she has enough time to call up Matt and remind him about the dinner. Deciding that five more minutes wouldn’t hurt, she makes the call. She calls twice, but Matt doesn’t pick up.

 

_“Dinner. Tonight. Kaz and Arthur. Did you remember? – A”_

 

She checks the message once, and quickly sends it. Tucking her phone back, she turns around the corner, and almost runs into David, who immediately brings his arms around her waist to stop her from falling.

 

His arms still on her waist, he winks at her even as he helps her steady herself, “I know I am hot, but you don’t need to fall every time to tell me that.”

 

“Shut up”, Alex hits his chest playfully, “I would probably stop falling if you stop sneaking up on me!” He winks at her again, and she sniffs, adding primly, “Why are you here anyways? Three weeks. No call, no message. I was beginning to think you have landed yourself in some prison.”

 

“I was beginning to fear that myself”, he let out a sigh, “I had to go to Cardiff for work. I had no idea it would take so long.”

 

He tells her a bit more about his trip, but Alex becomes distracted by the chiming of her phone. She steps out of his arms, pulling her phone out of her jeans and quickly scrolls to check the text that had just come.

 

_“Shit! I had forgotten all about it! Tell me you remembered it. Kaz called. I told them to come around 7. –M”_

 

She curses softly and tucks her phone back in. David is by her side immediately, “What’s wrong?”

 

Alex looks around, assessing the situation, and then looks at him, “David, you have 15 seconds before I’m unbelievably exhausted. You have to be quick. And don’t forget my purse.

 

“Wha-“, he looks at her confused, immediately jumping into action as she makes a great show of fainting. Placing a hand under her knee, he lifts her up- bridal style, he can’t help but notice- and makes his way towards the front desk where Mr. Freeman is.

 

“Don’t forget my purse!” she almost hisses. Her head is on his shoulder, her arms around his neck, and such a look of fatigue on her face that he thinks she would make an amazing actress one day.

  

He doesn’t have to say much to Mr. Freeman, who looks at them wide eyed, clearly worried about Alex. George even offers to help them and David nods thankfully. Helping Alex in the seat, he buckles the belt snugly below her bump. She is still pretending, slumped against the seat, and he has hard time convincing himself that it isn’t real.

 

She opens her eyes after about 15 minutes when he has driven them a good distance away from the store, and stretches, “Oh, that was a good nap.”

 

“Nap? You fell asleep?” she giggles as David looks at her in astonishment, “I was worried there might something be actually wrong!”

 

She quickly sobers. “I didn’t think I would actually fall asleep. Plan was only to get us out of the store. I am sorry if I worried you.”

 

He smiles, “That was a brilliant plan. And you could make big in acting. Ever thought of doing that?” She giggles again and moves around a bit, making herself comfortable. David helps her, and asks “So, what’s the plan now?”

 

She smirks, looking pleased with herself, and looks at him. “You, Mr. Tennant, are going to help me grocery shop, and then you are coming to dinner with me.”

 

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

 

It takes them nearly an hour to get the shopping done. Now standing outside Matt and Alex’s home, David tries not to think of the weight on his arms as Alex looks for the key in her purse.

 

“I asked you to let me carry some things in there,” Alex comments without looking up, “You didn’t have to play all macho. God knows these bags are heavy enough to flatten you into a wafer.”

  

His mouth falling open, David remarks indignantly, “Oi! I’m macho enough, thank you.” He bounces a little, trying to hold up the bag properly and avoid the contents from spilling over. “I wasn’t about to let a pregnant woman carry such heavy bags.”

 

She looks at him once, before pushing the key in the lock. “I should disown you for that. I’m pregnant, not an invalid.” Pushing open the door, she flashes him a saccharine smile, “Aren’t you lucky to be a pretty boy?"

 

Once inside, Alex makes a face, as if sniffing the air. Immediately her eyes narrow, “That arsehole!” and before David can ask who she is referring to, Alex makes her way to the kitchen where Matt is standing and a delicious smell is wafting from whatever he has been making.

 

“You sodding arsehole.” Matt beams, clearly pleased with himself as Alex glares at him, “You remembered it! You knew it! And you still told me-“ She picks the first thing she can catch hold of- a napkin- and chucks it at Matt’s head as he ducks and laughs. “You could have told me. I wouldn’t have rushed out like this.”

 

 “You love it”, Matt counters and still laughing, drops a kiss in her hair. He makes kissy noises that make Alex giggle despite her annoyance, and for a moment David feels like a third wheel; like he is intruding. He deposits the bags on the kitchen table and clears his throat, “Uh-maybe I should go.”

 

Alex’s response is immediate, “What? Why?” She gives him a look, as if she has understood what’s going on in his mind, “You are not going anywhere. I want to have dinner with _all_ my close friends. You are one too. So unless you don’t count yourself as one, you are staying.”

  

He tries to protest, but when Matt also asks, David decides to stay.

 

 

~~*~~

 

 

Dinner is a pleasant affair. Alex introduces David to Karen and Arthur as they all bond over Matt’s special Lasagna. Afterwards, when they are sitting in the living room, Alex with a cup of ginger tea in her hands, and others with their drinks, the conversation flows in every direction. They talk about random things from Alex’s pregnancy to politics to their jobs. Alex doesn’t stop grinning, and Matt finds himself unable to look away. She is sitting partially reclined on the back side of the couch, her legs in Matt’s lap, and from the looks of it, she is enjoying herself. He is broken out of his reverie when Alex wriggles her toes, slightly tickling his abdomen- a sign that she wants a foot massage. Matt shakes his head, smiling, and grabs her foot, lightly pressing at the spots he knows must be hurting.

 

Karen gives them a bemused grin as she stands up, and suddenly declares, “Anyone want more beer?” While Matt and Arthur ask for more, David refuses, opting for water.

 

Arthur gives him a funny look, and before turning to Karen, speaks, “Aren’t you a Scot?”

 

Karen smacks Arthur on head lightly as David laughs, “Yes, I am Scottish. But that doesn’t mean I drink all day. Besides, I’m thinking of giving up. Haven’t had more than a few glasses in almost 4-5 months.”

 

Karen looks at him amazed, “Wow.” Turning to kitchen to get more beer, she continues, “I can never do that. How do you even manage?”

 

David chuckles at her question, “Aye. It’s a necessity, really. When you can’t remember what, or _who_ happened the night before, I think it’s time to stop binge drinking.”

 

“ ’Who’?” Alex raises her eyebrow, amused, “I can sense there’s a story there.”

 

David takes the offered glass of water from Karen’s hand, and looks at Alex, smiling, “Not a story per se, but yeah, something I don’t want to forget- well, whatever I remember anyways.”

 

“Oh?” Karen chimes in, “do tell.”

 

“It isn’t much, really. About 4-5 months back, I went to a bar with a friend of mine for drinks. I met this really beautiful girl, with the most amazing curls-“, he looks at Alex, as if a memory resurfaced in his mind, “Come to think of it, her hair was quite a bit like Alex’s. A bit flat, may be. Anyways,” he continues, “after a few drinks, my mate went off with some girl, leaving me alone there. I went up to that girl, introduced myself. We had a few drinks more and danced for a bit.” He smiles before continuing, lost in his memories, “She was beautiful, glorious. I think I fell a little bit in love with her that night.”

 

“Then?” David looks up and glances at Alex when she voices her question. There is something about the way she spoke that niggles at the back of his brain. Even more intriguing is the look she is giving him. It feels strange- a look he has never seen on Alex. She clears her throat, “What happened after that?”

 

As strange as it feels, David feels compelled to continue, “I don’t know how it happened, but I think we went to her flat after some time because I remember waking up in a strange bed with one hell of a headache, and mouth full of curls. The one thing I regret is that I didn’t stay. My mate called, and I just panicked. Didn’t even stay to ask her name. I regret that. She was brilliant.”

 

“Aww”, Karen sympathises with him, “Didn’t you go back there?”

 

He smiles sadly, “I would have had I remembered where it was. I was so dazed, so hungover and panicked that I didn’t even look at anything properly.” Chuckling, he adds, “I even forgot my grandfather’s watch at her bedside.”

 

Everyone softly laughs at his words, that is, everyone except Alex. She goes rigid as a board, and Matt looks up at her from where he is massaging her foot. She is pale as sheet, and he worries something might be wrong. “Alex?” he softly asks.

 

Without responding to his question, Alex gets up from the couch. She moves past David to get to her room. The change is so abrupt that everyone becomes silent.

 

Just when Matt thinks something is wrong with the baby and makes to get up, Alex emerges from her bedroom, something clutched tightly in her fist. She makes her way to David. Opening her fist in front of his face, she asks, her voice quiet but demanding, “Is this that watch? Is this your grandfather’s watch?”

 

Matt can hear the strain in her voice and it takes him a moment to realise. David is, either, not so quick, or his brain is too shocked to catch up, because he takes the watch from Alex’s hands and looks at her. “Yes. It is the same one. How do you-?”

 

Alex looks at David, a strange look on her face, and answers his unfinished query, “Because you left it on my nightstand, and I think-,” she looks once at Matt, as if looking for support, and turns to David when Matt nods slowly, “-you are going to be a father.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but someone needs to kick my ass from time to time to get me to working because when it come to this fic, I become very uncertain. I don't like to read my own work, which means every time I have some time to work on a new chapter, I kind of end up procrastinating it. So, yeah. Also, notes aren't supposed to be this long. Sorry.-- xoxo A


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He grins, a pink tinge on his cheeks, and touches his fingers to the spot where her lips had touched. He can still feel the warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Update!
> 
> Exams are over, and now the laptop isn't working. Sorry for the short chapter, but I had to write it on my dad's pc. You can guess how difficult it was. But I wanted to write more, before my brain gave up completely. So, yeah. Sorry again.

 

 

 

 

 

“Well, at least you don’t have a fever”, checking the thermometer, Matt smiles, promptly handing Alex another tissue as another coughing bout overtakes her.

 

 

“You don know how to sheck; gib ith to me!”

 

 

Her words are supposed to convey her annoyance, but her stuffed nose renders her words a funny tone. Matt tries to stifle a small laugh, losing rapidly when Alex fixes him with a glare.

 

 

“You arh mockind me!”

 

 

“Am not.”

 

 

Chuckling he taps her nose lightly, laughing when she wrinkles it and then sniffles, all the while glaring at him with watering eyes. Picking up the used and scrunched up tissues, he moves to the kitchen, busying himself with preparing soup for her.

 

 

“Told you to take a thicker coat with you- your doctor said you will be susceptible to infections in this weather”, he speaks after a while, his hands busy with chopping up vegetables.

 

 

Groaning, Alex pulls the blanket up to her chin. “Can be postpone your ‘I thold you sho’ roudine to a la’er date? It may hab eschaped your notice, bu’ I’m not exactly in a good stade.”

 

It has been a few days since the revelation, and Matt doesn’t know what to, or how to think. Alex is yet to say anything about it. Sometimes he wonders how she is able to go about her day as if nothing has happened.

 

 

He looks at her as she sniffles once again. Her nose red with cold, Alex is presently lounging on the couch in his hoodie and pajama bottoms (“ _Hab you eben seen my waistside, Matt?!”_ ) with a blanket that is more on floor than on her. Not for the first time, he feels the urge to punch David. That part of him that is not feeling relieved, is more than a bit angry at David for walking out like that.

 

 

“You are doind that again”, she notes as he hands her bowl of soup.

 

 

“Doing what again?” he frowns, asking distractedly.

 

 

“Doind that- you hab your ‘pished’ face on”, she rubs her nose, and wrinkles it at the soup, pushing it away.

 

 

“I’m not pissed”, picking up the soup bowl, lost in his thoughts, Matt answers. He mixes the contents of the bowl thoughtfully, and indicates for Alex to scoot closer. She peers at him silently, moving up the couch so she is partially reclined against its side.

 

 

“I’m just a bit confused”, he rolls his eyes. Peering at him silently until he broke is Alex’s favourite technique to get him to spill whatever was going on in his head. When she doesn’t say anything, he softly confesses, “and a bit angry.”

 

 

Her focus entirely on him, Alex forgets to protest as Matt feeds her another spoonful of the soup. Swallowing, she quietly asks, her confusion apparent in her voice, “Why?”

 

 

“I-“, he begins, but Alex cuts him off.

 

 

“You are still upset about David’s reaction, aren’t you?” she continues when he nods, “You realise tha' doeshn’t eben mage sense?”

 

 

He harrumphs, but doesn’t speak until Alex has finished the entire bowl full. After she is done, he removes the bowls, handing Alex her medicines, and sighs when she kicks away her blanket. She gives him her best puppy look when he throws a questioning glance her way.

 

 

“Snuggle wif me? ‘s cold.”

 

 

The little shudder she adds the end for effect is so dramatic that Matt laughs, lying down next to her and pulling her closer.

 

 

Ever since that night a few weeks ago, Alex has made his room her night time abode. Initially her knock used to come only after she had presumable had a nightmare. However, for past couple of weeks, she had spent almost every night in his room, claiming he had better pillows.

 

 

His bed wasn’t much bigger to begin with- not that either of them required much space- and the added effect of Alex sleeping in his bed was that, no matter how much he tried, they ended up snuggled together, waking up in a tangled mess of limbs in morning. He sometimes wonders how mortified Alex would be if she came to know how well versed he has become in her sleeping habits.

 

 

She turns to rest against his chest as soon as he lies down next to her, throwing a leg over his. She lifts her head so he could slide his arm under it. Wrapping his arm around her, Matt sighs.

 

 

“I’m just worried about you and this baby, Alex.”

 

 

“And that is connected to David’s reaction, how?”

 

 

Her voice is a bit better now, the medicines kicking in. She has subconsciously tangled her fingers with his, and he tries his best to not react at that. Instead, he looks at her, confused by her words, “Is it not?”

 

 

She frowns at him, “Okay, I’m confused. Apart from the little fact that he is the biological father here, how is David concerned with this?”

 

 

Something in his expression gives him away, and Alex laughs softly. “God, you are such an idiot. You could have asked me why I was not bothered about David’s reaction, silly! So far as I’m concerned, I _can_ very well bring up this baby alone. You offered to help, and that is all I needed. Honestly, it was your reaction that I was worried about the most.”

 

 

She is staring at the ceiling, and Matt stares at her head. “It was a bit shocking- yes, to realise that David was the one I had slept with- it was like all the missing pieces were suddenly coming together. Beyond that, I just wanted to know if he wanted to be a father, or remain a sperm donor.”

 

 

He sputters, his expression a mix of shock and surprise. Batting lightly at his chest, Alex giggles, “What? I have you; nothing else matters to me.”

 

 

For a moment his mind becomes blank at her words, his breath stuttering in his chest. No words come to his mind and the only response he can think of is tightening his arm around her.

 

 

She is still giggling against his chest, the sound sending vibrations through him, when the bell rings. He tries not to think about the warm and fuzzy feeling inside his heart when he gets up to open the door.

 

 

He glances back at Alex before opening the door and finds her sitting up, back in the partially reclined position she had taken earlier, the only difference is that now her hands are folded against the back of the couch, her head resting on them.

 

 

Opening the door reveals a very nervous David fidgeting on their front step with a bunch of flowers in his hands. For a moment Matt wonders if poking at David could help. Instead, he voices his curiosity, “David?”

 

 

“Uh-“, he begins to shove the flowers at him, and then realising something, pulls them away, “Can I talk to Alex for a moment?”

 

 

Without saying anything, Matt simply nods and ushers David inside. By now, Alex has abandoned her seat, and is now standing only a bit away from the two men, her arms folded close to her body. David immediately makes his way to Alex.

 

 

“Can I-uh- talk to you for a moment?  Can we talk, Alex?”

 

 

David tentatively asks, his stance relaxing only a slight bit when Alex nods. She resumes her position on the couch, folding her legs under her, and indicates for David to take a seat in front of her.

 

 

Matt starts to leave, to grant the other two occupants of the room a bit of privacy, but Alex stops him, her fingers curling around his wrist. He looks at her, silently asking her for her intentions. Alex doesn’t say or indicate anything; she simply tugs at his hand until he takes a seat on the bean bag they keep next to the couch.

 

 

She then looks at David, and with a calm smile indicates for him to begin.

 

 

“Alex, I- uh”, David begins, a bit hesitant. Taking a deep breath, he looks up at Alex, “I wanted to apologise for running away like that. It was- I was just a bit stunned. You know how it’s like when a dream gets handed to you on a beautiful palette?”

 

 

He looks up at Alex, who nods, her eyes softening a bit, and then continues, “I had always yearned for a family of my own. I looked at Patricia, Noah, their family- and all I wanted was that kind of happiness. That night- as drunk as I was- I know I had fallen in love with the girl before me. When I met you in that bookstore- and after that, every moment felt like a bit of that happiness. I may be delusional, but I know I felt happy in those few moments. When you told me the truth about that night, it was like everything just merged together. It was difficult for me to comprehend anything in that moment. So I did the first thing that came to my mind.”

 

 

“And walked away”, Alex supplies, even as she nods at his words understandingly.

 

 

Wincing, David nods, “and walked away.”

 

 

Alex remains silent, and Matt sympathises a bit with David. Alex is very, very good at using her silence.

 

 

As expected, David continues. He speaks in a soft, hushed voice, as if afraid of his own words, “I would like to be a part of this baby’s life, if you’d let me, Alex. I really want to. I want to be there for every little moment, be a part of every little thing, but only if you’d let me, Alex.”

 

 

Smiling, Alex nods. The grin that shines on David’s face, his eyes lighting up, are enough to assure Matt about him.

 

 

 

 ~~*~~

 

 

They talk for a bit more after Matt leaves for his art class, working out schedules for David to accompany Alex to doctor’s and her prenatal yoga classes, and other such stuff. He insists on spending some time every day with Alex, even if it involves just staring at the telly. They talk about how and what David’s role is going to be in the child’s life. He smiles softly as Alex makes it clear that Matt will continue to be a part of the baby’s life.

 

 

When he gets up to leave, Alex accompanies him to the door.

 

 

“So, I’ll-uh- I’ll just see you tomorrow?”

 

 

His sentence comes out like a question, and Alex laughs softly at that, “You don’t need to be so nervous around me, Dave. This is just as much your child too. You have the right. Well, you have it until you do something to upset me, that is.”

 

 

She laughs even as she frowns, and David grins at that. Looking down, he shakes his head, and spots the flowers he had bought for her, a bit wilted now, still in his hands.

 

 

“Gosh, sorry. I brought these for you, but forgot to give.” He looks at the flowers in his hands disapprovingly and is about to throw them away when Alex takes them from his hands.

 

 

“These are beautiful. Thank you.” She strokes the flowers softly and David finds it unable to look away, a bit lost in the moment.

 

 

“Did you mean what you said that day?”

 

 

Her question is so sudden that David’s head snaps up, startled. “Wh-what?”

 

 

“Good night, Dave.” Softly smiling, she stands on her toes to kiss his cheek.

 

 

“Good night”, he smiles as she shuts the door.

 

 

He grins, a pink tinge on his cheeks, and touches his fingers to the spot where her lips had touched. He can still feel the warmth.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Initially Matt had been doubtful about David's involvement, but Alex had seemed confident about it, and so he had accepted it. And it seems she wasn't wrong. It has been a few days since the talk between David and Alex, and while it still unsettles him, it seems like they have somewhat achieved some sort of agreement- a state of coordination that seems strange at first glance. David has taken to coming to their house everyday. Sometimes he accompanies Alex from the bookstore itself, and sometimes joins them after her shift. But he is always there. Always, whenever Alex needs him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are either going to love me, or hate me by the end of this chapter, and I'm so, so sorry. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy! :)

 

 

 

"How about Clementine?" Matt suggests helpfully, his hands working on Alex's swollen ankles, looking away when Alex wrinkles her nose. Beside her, David chuckles.

 

Halfway through her pregnancy, Alex is keen on preparing things for the baby. It doesn't help that none of the three has any idea about babies. Both he and David have their own moments of overexcited joy where neither of them remembers grumbling about things when Alex drags them to stores to buy things for herself and the baby. When it came to names, it was decided all three of them would come up with names they loved, and would discuss them. Naturally, Alex is the one making decisions.

  

Initially Matt had been doubtful about David's involvement, but Alex had seemed confident about it, and so he had accepted it. And it seems she wasn't wrong. It has been a few days since the talk between David and Alex, and while it still unsettles him, it seems like they have somewhat achieved some sort of agreement- a state of coordination that seems strange at first glance. David has taken to coming to their house everyday. Sometimes he accompanies Alex from the bookstore itself, and sometimes joins them after her shift. But he is always there. Always, whenever Alex needs him. 

 

Throwing a glance at David, Matt smiles. He just hopes David doesn't hurt Alex ever in any manner.

 

"You will only use it to tease her with that silly song. I'm not naming my daughter Clementine just so you could make her hate me", Alex gives him a withering glance, moaning as his thumbs press at a particularly painful spot. Matt frowns, but continues. She's been doing that quite a lot lately.

 

"What about Adriana?" David offers, looking at Alex, who throws her head back, a particularly breathy moan passing her lips. Matt's fingers still over her ankle. "All okay, Alex?"

 

"Yeah. Yeah, perfect." Her eyebrows furrowed, Alex nudges at his palm with her toe as she tries to cover up her moan with a cough. "Mm. Adriana Kingston. I think we can consider it."

 

His expression comical, David's head turns so quick that Matt almost falls down laughing. "Wait, wait. Kingston? Why Kingston? Why not Tennant?"

 

Alex looks up from her book. Rolling her eyes she looks like someone who is trying to explain something quite simple to someone especially dense, "Well, I'm the one who has a miniature being sitting on her bladder, and will continue to do so for next few months, the one who'll give up her sleep for 4 am feeds. I get to be the one whose surname baby gets. So yes, Kingston."

 

Matt perks up at this. "Um...well, I should also get in on it, then? I want or not, I will be the one doing the 3 am runs. I already do that, might i add, in spite of the abuses you hurl at me. And then there will be the random things for the baby too. So may be Smith-Kingston, or Kingston-Smith?"

 

"If that's the case, then I should also get a say. There is a bit of me in there, after all!" David adds. Alex looks at him, frowning, "Wouldn't that be a bit of mouthful? Kingston-Smith-Tennant? We could always just stick to Kingston." She smiles and shrugs, doing her best innocent impression. David frowns for a moment, and Matt gets up with the excuse of making tea to hide his snickers. She is so very good at it. David wouldn't even know, and Alex will get her way.

 

"May be we could pick a name, and then see which of the three surnames fits? I mean, like Adriana sounds good with Kingston", Alex shrugs, glancing at David who is lost in his thoughts. "Hmm. Okay, what about Alexandra?"

 

Alex makes a face, but Matt stops in his tracks.  _Alexandra Smith_. For a moment it feels like everything around him has stopped, his heart jumps. It’s a beautiful dream. It could also mean _Alexandra Tennant,_ but he doesn’t want to contemplate that. He glances at Alex, who only sniffs in response. "Too Shakespearean."

 

An unbidden snort escapes him and David frowns, his gaze shifting between Matt and Alex. "What's wrong with Alexandra? It goes with all three surnames. For middle name, we could pick Anne or Elizabeth."

 

 _He really doesn’t know._ Matt giggles and Alex rolls her eyes, throwing a cushion at him. She turns to David, her expression of one whose patience is being tested, "Because I'm not narcissistic enough to name my daughter after myself! Can you imagine having that kind of mouthful in school? Its too bloody difficult to pronounce when you are trying to remember your alphabet! I'm not naming my daughter Alexandra. Besides, it only looks good with Kingston.”

 

With a soft "oh", David sits back. "I didn't know Alex came from Alexandra", he murmurs, and instead of gracing it with a response, Alex rolls her eyes, her eyebrows raised, as if to say "wasn't that obvious?” and thrusts her feet into Matt’s lap. Grumbling, Matt once again begins to rub her ankles. He is rubbing the sole of her foot when Alex suddenly shudders and pulls her leg back. He simply shoots her a glance with a raised eyebrow, but Alex doesn’t say anything, just looks away, “Uh..I think, maybe we should take a break?”

 

“Hmm”, David shrugs in agreement, “How’s your story coming along?”

 

Matt snickers and Alex hits him with her leg, groaning, “Ugh, don’t ask. It has just gone from bad to worse. I’m just glad Matt has already agreed to the exhibition.”

 

Matt throws the cushion back at her, “Doesn’t matter. You still have to fulfil your part of bargain. No niggling out of it.”

 

“Well”, David interrupts the bickering duo, “if you want, I’m meeting some publishers next Monday. It’ll be a small party- a black tie event, so a tad bit formal- but it could be helpful, and it’ll help you build connections too.”

 

“Mm, I’ll think about-“, Alex begins, huffing when Matt glares, “Oh fine. I’ll go!” Turning to Matt, she scowls at his smile, “Happy now?”

 

Matt taps her nose, grinning when she bats at his hand, annoyed, “Extremely, birdy.”

 

\--x—

 

“Oh my god, ‘ _His words touched her heat’_ ”, Karen laughs, almost falling off the couch as she reads the passage in front of her. “Oh god”, she snorts, turning the page, “Why didn’t you just make it a sex scene?”

 

“Oh, shut up”, Alex groans out the words from behind the pillow she has been covering her face with, and Karen smirks, “That bad, huh?”

 

Alex gets up from the small sofa at the back of the bookstore, and begins to arrange and rearrange the book. She looks at Karen from the corner of her eye, and huffs when her smirk widens into a victorious grin. “Shut up.”

 

Karen only grins, “I didn’t say a word.”

 

“Still shut up”, Alex settles back on the couch, glaring at her manuscript as if the bundle of pages has done her some great disservice. “It’s bloody maddening, you know! He-just-argh! I have to pretend being asleep until he sleeps because it’s too bloody difficult to stop myself from-ugh. Do you even know how difficult it is to sleep in the same bed as him?”

 

“So why don’t you just get him to get rid of your little problem?”

 

The thought itself is delicious. Alex hadn’t been exaggerating when she said sleeping beside Matt was maddening. With those hands, and—well, _not his hands—_ it was difficult to think about anything else. Matt doesn’t know it, but every time she has slept in his room, she has woken up to find them in a tangled heap of limbs where it’s difficult to discern where she begins and where he ends. At times she wonders if she should just take Karen’s advice- maybe it’s all about living in the same space as him, and just having sex might rid her of this. _Maybe._ But then she remembers the way he looks at her when she shudders under his ministrations, and thought goes away.

 

Alex looks up at Karen’s words, “You know I Can’t. You know it, Kaz. He is my best friend. I can’t ruin our friendship because my hormones are running out of control.”

 

Karen stares at her, frowning a bit, “Who says it would ruin anything? It could be fun for both of you, and I bet he’d be happy to help.”

 

“You know something”, Alex wiggles her finger, suspicious. Karen only laughs and shrugs innocently, deflecting the question, “I don’t need to know anything to know this. You two have been almost living together since you were old enough to afford your own flats; you spend almost every waking moment together. Hell, he is even helping you with this pregnancy and everything else that comes with it- you sleep in same bed! What else is there to know?”

 

Alex groans and throws a cushion at Karen, who only continues to laugh, “Or, you know, maybe you could get David to help you!”

 

“Ugh, I really hate you!”

 

\--x—

 

When Monday rolls around, Alex is nowhere as ready as Matt thinks. She fidgets and fumbles when she tries to practice how she is going to talk to the publishers.

 

“You are going to be just fine. Relax. Think of it as a first date”, Matt teases. It feels difficult. It always is. More so, because he knows that David actually cares for Alex. At least for him, it’s not something casual.

 

In front of the mirror, Alex only hums as she checks out herself again and again. “Goodness, Matt, look up from that book and tell me if I look okay! I need to impress those publishers.” Sighing, Matt puts aside his book and gets up, even as Alex continues to talk, and turns her to face the mirror, his palm on her eyes, “Now try to see what I see.”

 

“I need my eyes to do that.”

 

Matt smiles at her words, feeling her eyeroll behind closed eyes, “No. To see how I see you, you don’t need your eyes. Look at yourself from my eyes. I see a woman, beautiful and confident, who knows how to work wonders, knows just how to make everyone smile, and is as perfect as anyone can get. The only thing I don’t like is”, he feels Alex stiffen, and continues, smiling, “when she fidgets and thinks she isn’t capable enough. You can win anything. You are my baby bird. Now do you see what i see?”

 

His words are a whisper on her skin- a warm comforting embrace that one pines for on snowy evenings, and for a moment, Alex thinks about giving in to her heart, and not think about anything else. Without turning, she meets his eyes in the mirror, “Matt-“

 

“Shh”, he silences her with a finger to her lips. It’s only when she turns to face him that she realises how close they actually are standing. So close that only a slight shift of their bodies is needed for them to kiss, and for a brief moment, it feels like he will. And she is oh so ready for it.

 

The doorbell rings, breaking the moment and Matt moves away to open the door. “It must be David”, Alex clears her throat, even as she internally curses his timing.

 

She is almost out of the door when Matt gently pulls her to himself and kisses her forehead, “Go get ‘em, baby bird! Just remember, you have got what nobody else has.” Matt wiggles his eyebrow comically and Alex laughs, kissing his cheek before she steps out of the door, “Can’t be your writer girl without that!”

 

The party, as it turns out, is more boring than any party she has ever been to. She tries to stifle yawns even as David tries to crack jokes and introduces her to everyone. She really shouldn’t be this rude at a party David has invited her to help her, but she doesn’t feel like being generous to him or anyone at the moment. It may be just her pregnancy hormones having fun, but she feels like her heart is somewhere else.

 

“Alex, are you okay? You don’t look like you want to be here”, David asks her as he takes a sip of his champagne. Alex looks at him from the corner of her eye, and wonders if he’ll mind if she tells him the truth. David has been helping her so much. She even managed to get two publishers to ask her for a copy of her manuscript. Sighing, she turns to the man standing next to her, “I don’t know. I- just- ugh, I’m sorry, David. I feel weird in these parties. Would it be terribly rude if I said I’d rather be somewhere else?”

 

Laughing softly, David keeps his glass on the table behind them, and leans in closer to Alex, “Shall I tell you a secret, Kingston? I don’t like these parties much either. I only come here because it helps my work. Come on, we’ll go somewhere else. I owe you dinner, at the very least.”

 

Alex waits as David makes their excuses and checks her phone to see if Matt had called. She doesn’t know why it disappoints her, but it does. Unwilling to think more about it, Alex turns her focus to David, smiling as he whisks her out of the party.

 

“So, where would you like to go, Mademoiselle?” David puts on a fake French accent as he turns the car to the main road. Giggling, Alex pretends to think over it, “Mm. Can we go to the beach?”

 

“Now? It’s almost 10?” David gapes at her as she nods, and turns the car towards the beach, “You are a strange, strange woman, Alex Kingston.”

 

Alex hums, stepping out of the car as they arrive at the beach. Taking off her shoes, she digs her toes in the sand, relishing in the warmth, and walks ahead, before turning to David, “And is that a bad thing?”

 

She laughs and turns away as David continues to watch her, mystified as she tries to tuck her curls away, but fails as the soft breeze toys with them, and wishes it were him instead of the breeze. Walking up to her, he leans against the tree she is sitting against, and slides down until they are almost shoulder to shoulder, “It isn’t.”

 

“What isn’t?” Alex turns, frowning at his words, confused, and David smiles down at her, “It isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I quite like it.”

 

A pink tinge gracing her cheeks, Alex looks away for a moment, and then turns to look at him, “You said something that day- when you didn’t know I was the girl you had that one night stand with.”

 

David looks at her, and for a moment it seems there is nothing else around them. “Yeah, yeah I did.”

 

“Did you mean it?” She doesn’t even know why she is asking him this, but it’s a question that has suddenly popped up in her mind, and she wants to know. David laughs softly, the look in his eyes intense, and very, very similar to how Matt looks at her sometimes. “Do I really need to say it?”

 

And she doesn’t want to know the implications, or think over them. “David-“

 

Before she can even complete her sentence, David captures her lips in a soft kiss- a kiss as gentle as the breeze around them; a hello, a sign of affection; one that’s meant to convey more than she is ready to accept. As gently as possible, Alex pulls away, slowly opening her eyes, “I-“

 

David only smiles at her, “You don’t feel the same way.”

 

It’s a statement. Not a question; a statement. Sighing, Alex nods softly, and leans her head against his shoulder, squeezing his arm lightly, “I’m sorry, David.”

 

He laughs quietly at that, “I think having a friendship is good enough. Most people in our situation don’t even have that.”

 

Alex smiles at that, and tangles her fingers with his. She doesn’t say anything for the longest time, quietly enjoying the scenery before them, and when David begins to think she is probably asleep, whispers in a hushed voice, “Yeah. At least we have that.”

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have been at the beach for roughly an hour, simply talking. And it feels good. Refreshing. In the space of sixty minutes, they have managed to discuss quite a few things about their own future, their plans for the baby- all the things that new parents can discuss. They are strolling along the beach when David quietly voices his question. Alex looks up, smiling back at him as he flashes her a rather endearing, genuine smile, gazing down at her. “I don't know-”, she breaks off with a short laugh, “-I mean- I don't know what I am feeling right now. How can I be sure of anything else, then?”

 

 

 

 

“Can I ask who the lucky guy is?”

 

They have been at the beach for roughly an hour, simply talking. And it feels good. Refreshing. In the space of sixty minutes, they have managed to discuss quite a few things about their own future, their plans for the baby- all the things that new parents can discuss. They are strolling along the beach when David quietly voices his question. Alex looks up, smiling back at him as he flashes her a rather endearing, genuine smile, gazing down at her. “I don't know-”, she breaks off with a short laugh, “-I mean- I don't know what I am feeling right now. How can I be sure of anything else, then?”

 

“Hmm,” David pulls a face, shrugging as if he is thinking about it, “So, I still have a shot, yeah? It's possible, right?”

 

Alex laughs, and slaps his arm lightly. “May be. I don't know.”

 

David pretends to be offended as he crinkles his nose, “What do you know, then?”

 

Sniffing, Alex turns to look at the shore as they begin making their trek towards his car, “That you, Mr. Tennant, are dropping me home, right now. And that, tomorrow, we are going shopping.”

 

Opening the door to his side, David pauses in confusion, “I don't remember volunteering.”

 

Alex smirks at him, taking the front seat as he starts the car, “See? I know.”

 

\--x--

 

Giving his painting a final touch, Matt begins the process of putting away his things, looking up when the door cracks open. He glances at his watch and smiles, shaking his head in amusement.

 

“How was your date?”

 

“It wasn't a date.” Closing the door, Alex pauses to briefly glare at him, before she lowers herself on the couch with a moan and takes off her shoes, “We left the party early, went to the beach, took a stroll and talked.”

 

Matt smiles as he puts away his easel and moves to the kitchen to put a kettle on for some tea, throwing a smirk at her over his shoulder, “Just talked?”

 

“Yes”, Alex narrows her eyes at him, spreading her legs ahead of her and reclining against the side of the couch, “We are going to be parents in few short months – there are things we need to discuss. So shut up.”

 

“I didn't-”

 

“And we are going shopping tomorrow. I need to buy few things for the baby and few for myself.”

 

Matt clicks his tongue, giving Alex an apologetic look, “I have to finish the last painting. I can't come tomorrow. May be you can ask Karen?”

 

“I know”, Alex smiles, clearly pleased with herself as Matt looks at her in confusion, “I already asked David.”

 

“Oh,” he resolutely refuses to acknowledge the dull thud that echoes inside him, smiling instead, “that's- that's good then. Did you find any publishers?”

 

Alex hums in agreement, a soft moan escaping her as she enjoys the slide of the warm beverage down her throat, “Three. Three publishers showed interest in reading the manuscript. David says if they don't publish it, he will ask his friend to publish it.”

 

She offers to clean up the cups and kettle, but Matt declines, hoping the mundane, brainless task would be enough to take his mind off the hollow ache inside him. He had promised himself to support Alex in whatever decision she would take. David does seem to be good for her. And they are expecting a baby.

 

And he is, from what Matt has observed, in love with her. Probably, just as much as him. _Nah._

 

Lost in his thoughts, Matt turns off the lights throughout the house, making his way to his – it still confuses him, his or their?- bedroom. He smiles fondly as he spots Alex curled up, once again, in his usual spot, in a loose t-shirt and shorts that she no doubt nicked from his cupboard. Leaning down, he presses a soft kiss against her temple, before turning off the lights and moving to the other side.

 

He is about to drift off when Alex's sleepy voice reaches him, eliciting a surprised laugh from him. “And, it wasn't a date, Matt.”

 

\--x--

 

Skin on skin.

 

_Oh god._

 

His hands all over her, teasing every spot even she wasn't aware of. Until now.

 

A kiss below her ear. He suckles at her earlobe before trailing open mouthed kisses over her neck.

 

And his hands- those long, sinful fingers- working their magic between her legs.

 

Alex whimpers, pushing her hips against his groin, grinding as she feels his hard length press against her arse. His answering chuckle, warm on her skin, is filthy and sends tremors speeding down her body. She shivers, goosebumps breaking out on her skin.

 

Her breath hitches as he slowly, almost painfully so, slides inside her. He groans in her ear, stilling to catch his breath. “So gorgeous, Alex.”

 

Inch by inch, he withdraws before pushing back in, setting a rhythm. Slow, deep thrusts that make her see stars.

 

Her back arches, and she turns her head to pull him down for a kiss.

 

The slow, sensual slide of his warm tongue over hers as they tangle and stroke each other, mimicking the movements of their bodies is something else. Something she doesn't understand. Something she can't put her finger on. Divine.

 

It takes her breath away.

 

“Alex.”

 

Her name sounds like a prayer on his lips. A whisper; a chant.

 

A benediction.

 

And so, so, SO familiar.

 

She feels herself topple over the edge, a scream of his name tearing past her lips.

 

“Matt!”

 

\--x--

 

Alex wakes up with a start.

 

The dream had felt real. Too real.

 

Her breath comes in short gasps as she sits up, valiantly trying to calm the wild thudding of her heart. Whether a result of all too realistic dream, or something else – she doesn't want to know.

 

Her skin feels clammy, her surroundings a bit too warm, even as a cool breeze blows outside, cooling the room, at least relatively. She wipes off the beads of sweat from her forehead, her curls sticking to her skin, and heaves a sigh of relief. Just a dream.

 

Careful not to disturb Matt, she gets off the bed, padding towards the kitchen. Cold water, probably some tea, and she should be fine. She gulps as much water as she can, bringing the bottle of cold water to her head. The coolness of the liquid helps her calm down, soothing her a bit and helping her relax. She tries to compose her thoughts, rationalising them.

 

That was what it was. A dream. Just a stupid sex dream. The pregnancy books said it's a normal thing.

 

Alex glances at the clock in the hall. Just past 2 am. She should probably try to get some sleep.

 

His arm winds around her as soon as her head hits the pillow. There is nothing new about the position itself. They have woken up wrapped around each other practically every day ever since she began sleeping in his room. The sudden quickening of her heartbeats indicates otherwise.

 

Alex gulps, trying to calm herself. She tries to shift without disturbing Matt, her legs rubbing together accidentally. The moan that escapes her is completely involuntary and surprises her as a dull throbbing between her legs makes itself known.

 

Oh god, indeed.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, and thank you all for being so patient with this mad hatter :) I hope you enjoyed this :)
> 
> Suggestions, comments, reviews are always welcome :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look! A decent sized update. Finally! :P

 

 

  

Alex tries not to fidget as she looks around, browsing through all the things that the conglomerate seems to think a baby might need, and waits for David to join her. The store is bustling with women, all in different stages of pregnancy, some even with screaming infants or fussing toddlers with them. And somehow a store with all sorts of fluffy, cute things is more terrifying than any other place she has ever been to.

 

Holding the giraffe plushie in her arms like a security blanket, she casts another glance towards the entrance before turning back to the shelves. Matt had helped her draw a list of everything they needed to prepare for the baby, and day off meant she could get started on it, but at the moment it seemed like a foolish decision. She should have waited for Matt, probably pestered him into joining her.

 

"Hey!"

 

The plushie clutched to her chest, Alex barely manages to suppress her shriek, and turns to glare at the culprit. “May be once you could not sneak up on me like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

 

With a wink, David offers her a disarming, yet unapologetic grin, “Oh, but my life wouldn't be complete without that, Kingston.”

 

Biting back a smile, Alex lightly slaps his arm, “Can't say I'd be bothered, you are 30 minutes late, after all.”

 

His eyes narrowed, David casts a glance around the store even as Alex looks at him in confusion, before turning to her and tapping her nose lightly, “You scared yourself, didn't you?”

 

There is some truth in his words, but for some reason, admitting her fears to him feels vaguely strange. Turning her attention back to the toys, she stubbornly shakes her head, “No, I did not. I was just feeling a bit claustrophobic. Why would you think I scared myself anyway?”

 

With her back to him, Alex misses the knowing smile that curls up at his lips as David shrugs and follows her dutifully, “Pat said you would be getting a bit anxious about the whole thing now, or soon. I hate to say it, but I think she was right.”

 

His words make her do a double take. “You talked to your sister about it?”

 

Less concerned and more amused by her reaction, David shrugs, “Neither of us knows the first thing about babies. I thought may be I could ask someone who has dealt with these things before. Asking Pat seemed easier than calling mother and explaining about our situation.” Pausing a bit, he turns his glance to her, “I didn't want to say anything to mother without talking to you first. Pat, on the other hand, has been my secret keeper since we were kids. Does it bother you I asked someone from my family?”

 

“No”, it takes her a moment to respond, “It's just-- I don't know, Dave, they are your family, and-- it just feels strange.”

 

She doesn't even notice her nails digging into the toy in her hands, gasping in surprise when David places his hand over hers, squeezing it gently with a small smile on his face, “It's okay, you know. I'm not telling them anything without talking to you first. I was actually thinking of waiting until they are here to tell them, and was hoping we could do it together.”

 

Alex bites her lip. With a hesitant, nervous smile, she slowly nods, “I'll think about it?”

 

It's a bit unnerving how well the two men around her seem to understand her, moreso with David who has only known her for a few months. She gives a small smile as he nods in understanding, his usual mischievous grin on his face before clearing his throat, “So what's on our list today?”

 

–

 

Closing the door behind herself, Alex tries not to reflect back at the strangeness of the day. Her job at the bookstore meant dealing with kids of all ages on regular basis, and yet, somehow, the thought of a screaming and demanding baby of her own was now terrifying her. David's frequent jokes and insistence at buying things she was sure baby wouldn't need until much later were distracting, but not enough.

 

And then there was the strange dream.

 

Between the thoughts about the dream, and the kids all around her, her mind had somehow come up with an image of a future. A future her heart and mind had been warring over for a long time now. An image she had vehemently pushed back. Friends- best friends, and nothing more.

 

She shakes her head to dispel the thoughts, focusing instead on the faint smell about the house, and immediately regrets her decision as her eyes settle on the figure in the kitchen. His jeans slung low on his hips, multicoloured smattering of paints on his arms and back, Matt putters about the kitchen, humming to himself as he mixes something simmering in a pot on the stove.

 

She clears her throat, a small smile teasing at her lips as Matt jumps a bit, clearly not expecting her back yet. “I thought you had to give a finishing touch to your painting?”

 

He recovers soon, fishing out the spoon he dropped in the pot, and grins at her, “Got bored. Thought I'd work on something else for a while.”

 

Humming in response, Alex instinctively moves to the kitchen, all the shopping bags in tow.

 

Another mistake.

 

As if on cue, Matt curls an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and brings a spoon close to her mouth, “Open up. I tried something.”

 

Alex bites her lip as she feels the warmth emanating from his arm make its mark on her skin even through the many layers. It's not new, not out of their usual behaviour. They have always been like this, always in each others space. And yet, it feels different.

 

"Alex?"

 

"Huh?" Alex blinks absently, somewhere between trying to dispel and trying to hold on to the warmth washing all over her.

 

"I asked you to open up. I want you to taste this." She looks down at the spoon in his hands, still lost in her thoughts, and parts her lips dutifully. Matt frowns, but says nothing, instead bringing the spoon up to her lips for her to taste. "How is it?"

 

" 's good." Too focused to quelling the responding heat inside her, Alex starts pulling her purchases out of the shopping bags, missing the arching of Matt's nearly invisible eyebrows.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Finally breaking out of her reverie, Alex sheepishly tucks a curl behind her ear, looking away from his inquisitive eyes, trying to suppress her disappointment at the loss of touch as Matt moves away. "What? Um- nothing. Nothing's wrong."

 

"Hm. Well, something is wrong because I just fed you basically a mix of spinach and milk - everything you hate - and you said it was good", Matt beams as she crinkles her nose, a disgusted expression on her face when realisation dawns, "Now are you going to tell me, or do I guess it?"

 

"I don't know, Matt", Alex heaves a sigh, moving closer to Matt and peeping into the pan as he resumes stirring the strange concoction, "it's just- am I doing the right thing? Babies require so much attention and care. I don't think I'll be able to do that."

 

"Isn't it a little late to re-evaluate your decision?" Pouting at everything in general, Alex crinkles her nose as Matt taps it lightly before continuing, "It's okay to be scared, you know? Neither of us knows anything about babies. But-", he gently squeezes her hand in reassurance, weaving his fingers with hers, "-we are in this together. We'll figure it out eventually. And if it still feels like a wrong decision, we'll talk to David and figure out a way to ensure your baby gets a home she deserves, alright?"

 

Alex nods, a smile curling at her lips in relief even as a part of her protests at the thought of giving up the baby. "A team, yeah?"

 

"Always", a mischievous glint enters his eyes as he nods emphatically, "Giraffe and Tiny for the win!"

 

"I'm not tiny!" Gaping at him, Alex slaps his arm, pulling a face as Matt grins.

 

"Sorry, not tiny. You are baby bird. And-", before she can protest, Matt tugs at her hand, pulling her in the direction of the rooms, "-I have got something for your baby, baby bird, and it needs you to put your beak, so to speak, in. Ready?" With his usual dramatic flair, Matt opens the door of the room they had planned to use as nursery, "Ta-da!"

 

Alex gasps in surprise as the door opens to reveal a room painted in muted green and cream colours, a partially done, yet beautiful and colourful, scenery painted on the wall behind a yet to be assembled crib. There is an assortment of things lying about the room, an easel with a sketch of the room - perhaps, a blueprint - paint boxes, sheets all over the floor, and yet Alex finds herself tearing up.

 

"It's beautiful, Matt. Did you do it all by yourself?"

 

Her breath hitches as she turns to look at Matt, something in his eyes as he looks down at her. It's a strange look, she has seen it before, and it always affects her in the same way, but now it feels more prominent. It's barely there for a moment before Matt blinks and turns his gaze to the room in front of them, "Nah. The hands helped. Of course I did it all by myself, Alex!"

 

She opens her mouth to speak, a perfect retort on the tip of her tongue, but Matt shushes her, instead handing her a paintbrush as he himself picks up one, "Get started, birdy."

 

Her grin broadens in excitement as she clutches the brush tightly, "I can do it?"

 

"Pick your corner, birdy!"

 

\---

 

"Matt?"

 

After nearly three hours of working in quiet collaboration as she works in the corner nearest to the crib and Matt works in the play area, Alex rubs her neck and back,stretching the sore muscles, excited to show her creation to Matt.

 

It takes him a while to notice it. Keeping the juice bottles and pizza box on a clean newspaper, he makes his way to Alex.

 

The small gasp of mock offense as he gapes and huffs is entirely worth the work put in.

 

Biting back a smirk, Alex puts on an innocent smile, "Do you like it?"

 

She giggles and dances away as Matt pinches at her arm in retaliation, "Not funny! You drew me as a giraffe peeking into the crib!"

 

"Aww", a grin as he huffs and folds his arms, jutting his lower lip out in a pout, "look at it this way- we'll be able to teach her how to distinguish between you and a baby giraffe from an early age itself."

 

"If that's the reasoning to go by," narrowing his eyes, Matt scans their surroundings before picking up a brush at random and quickly painting an addition to the giraffe Alex had painted. "Ha! Now, we're even."

 

"That's a...bird?"

 

She looks warily as Matt gives her a lopsided grin, "A baby bird. This way we'll be able to teach her how to tell apart between you and a baby bird."

 

Throwing him a withering glance, Alex begins to put away the paint things. Her lips part in a gasp as she lowers herself onto the cushions on the floor. Matt is instantly by her side, one arm protectively curling around her shoulder, the palm of another coming to rest on her hand. "Are you alright? Do we- do we need to go to the doctor's?"

 

It takes her a full minute to respond. A minute in which she could practically feel Matt worry and every nerve in his body prepare itself to jump up at a moment's notice behind her. Her cheeks ache as she turns to him with a reassured grin, "I'm not giving her up, Matt. I can do this."

 

He looks so adorable confused. Bless.

 

Twining her fingers with his, she slowly places his hand over her swollen abdomen. "Can you feel it?"

 

"Alex, wh-", there is a brief pause as he feels the tiny movement against his palm, "Did she just-? She just kicked me, Alex."

 

Alex beams as his eyes widen at another movement, "say something to her!"

 

"Huh? Okay, okay", leaning back for a moment, Matt leans closer to her belly and clears his throat, "Hello, baby."

 

He gives a small laugh, his fingers skating over her abdomen with every responding movement. Threading her fingers through his hair, Alex smiles and rambles, not even trying to contain her excitement, "She is always doing this- fluttering about like this, but this is the first time she has done this. She is getting stronger everyday. Oh god, Matt, I'm just-"

 

Sitting back on his haunches, Matt smiles at her, a teary sheen in his eyes.

 

"You are crying, Matt", Alex notes, even as tears sparkle in her eyes.

 

"Shut up, baby bird."

 

There is nothing more to be said as he surges forward, capturing her lips in a swift kiss.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy? Confused? Tell me about it? - xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smile that sweeps across her face when Matt nods and offers her a small smile, is one of relief. Leaning up on her toes as he bends down, she cups his face in her hands. A stab of warmth shoots through her as his hands settle on her waist to steady her. Desperately trying not to give in to the feelings coursing through her at the innocent touch, she brushes her lips over his forehead.
> 
>  
> 
> "Goodnight, Matt."

 

 

 

 

For a brief, blissful moment, there is no conscious thought. Nothing but the gentle press of her lips against his. Her initial shock barely registers as he cups her face, his fingers framing and caressing her face before threading themselves through her curls.

 

It's something beyond his wildest dreams, more than he dared think possible, and yet not enough. The tentative, yet firm, touch of her hand, warm on his skin, is enough to make him lose his grasp on every other sense.

 

Instinctively moving one hand to the small of her back, he pulls her closer.

 

A bit more pressure makes her part her lips, her low moan vibrating through him. It is new, strange, and exhilarating. Everything he had ever imagined, and more.

 

Bliss.

 

Another moan, followed by a shy, hesitant touch of her tongue sends sparks shooting through him, bringing him back to earth. As if someone poured cold water on him, his senses jolt into action, a dread replacing the bliss, as he breaks the kiss and pushes Alex away.

 

His mind still reeling from the kiss, he struggles to find words. The confusion and disappointment in her eyes breaks his heart, guilt and shame clouding every other feeling.

 

"Matt, wha-?"

 

Her words are barely a whisper as she struggles for breath. Her swollen lips are a reminder, but the questioning gaze of his best friend hurts even more. Blinking furiously, Matt lowers his head in shame, his gaze barely meeting hers, "This was a mistake. Lord, I'm sorry, Alex. It shouldn't have happened. I was- we both were-are- a little emotional, and I- right, okay. It was just a mistake, and I'm going to keep my emotions in check now onwards, and I'm-"

 

"You think it was a mistake?"

 

There is something very incomprehensible about her tone as Alex asks him, tilting her head to look at him. His gaze flickers up to her face, before shifting downwards as he nods, "Yes, a mistake. I", Matt swallows before continuing, "never meant for it to happen. I'm sorry."

 

"You are sorry about it?"

 

Any other time he would have asked her if she was alright- the way she is repeating his words in questions, it's strange and very unlike Alex. But the circumstances, the moment is different. Not 'any other' moment.

 

The heaviness consuming him is nearly suffocating. He briefly nods, before getting up to collect all the things - any excuse to avoid meeting her gaze, really. "Yes."

 

\--

 

_I'm not._

 

The words claw at her insides as she looks up at Matt. His shoulders slumped, head hung even as he tries putting away the paint cans at the other end of the room are enough to make the confession die in her throat.

 

The sudden move had shocked her, but when he didn't pull away immediately, it took hardly a moment for the shock to dissipate. Confusion from minutes ago had been replaced by something she didn't want to name, sparking every nerve into action.

 

Brief as it was, the kiss had cleared a lot of questions for her.

 

She bites her lip, trying to suppress the memory of the kiss, and regards Matt with concern.

 

_It was a mistake, Alex._

 

Even with the kiss and her hormones clouding her mind, a realisation dawns, sinking her heart. It could never happen between them. He never meant for it to happen. It was a mistake - something that shouldn't have happened. They're just friends, nothing more.

 

Searching for words, she shakes her head. It stings when Matt doesn't even offer to help her get up, fully intent on ignoring her. His feeling of guilt is palpable, but saying 'it's okay' and brushing it off in a bid to absolve him of it would mean ignoring her own heart.

 

It hurts, even when she had always known... She takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before addressing Matt, his back still turned to her. "Right..uh- I think I'll go to bed. It's been a long day, and -"

 

"Alex?"

 

Pausing in her tracks, she looks up at Matt before glancing away in a bid to avoid his searching gaze. Her heart seems intent on beating a tattoo on the inside of her chest. "Yeah?"

 

"We're okay, aren't we? This isn't going to change anything between us, is it?"

 

_It already has, Matt._

 

Her eyes soften. She knows he can probably see the strain, can see through her facade, but she forces herself to smile. "No. It won't. It doesn't. There's a reason we are best friends, Matt."

 

The answering smile that curls at his lips seems oddly strained, tugging at her heart. Briefly glancing away, she schools her features and with what she hopes is her usual smile, crosses the room to stand in front of him.

 

"It's just- I don't know what I was thinking, Alex."

 

It's not easy, but she holds his gaze as he reaches out to grasp her hand in his. Stepping closer, she gently squeezes his hand to reassure him, "It's okay. It was just an accident. I was just as emotional, and if you think about it, did not exactly push you away", she lets out a soft laugh, forced to her own ears, "must be all the hormones. It was an accident, Matt. Don't let it affect you too much, okay?"

 

The smile that sweeps across her face when Matt nods and offers her a small smile, is one of relief. Leaning up on her toes as he bends down, she cups his face in her hands. A stab of warmth shoots through her as his hands settle on her waist to steady her. Desperately trying not to give in to the feelings coursing through her at the innocent touch, she brushes her lips over his forehead.

 

"Goodnight, Matt."

 

\---

 

It is not until Matt has cleared up the things for the day, and decided to turn in for the night that the realisation sinks in. He peeks into the corridor, glancing at the room across to his- Alex's. The light filtering in through the space between the door and the floor confirms his fears. She had lied to him.

 

It's not as if he hadn't known. The moment those lips had touched his, he knew things had changed. They haven't been the same for a while now, at least for him. But having it confirmed...

 

For the first time in months, she is not there to hog all the blankets on his bed.

 

And for the first time in years, the door to her bedroom is locked to keep him out.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pokes at the chapter* why can't you come out a bit nicely, and quickly? :/
> 
> Not exactly happy with it, but I kept coming up empty handed when I tried to change it. So here it is. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. c:


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *squeaks and hides*

 

 

 

Alex groans as the first rays of Sun begin to trickle in. There are times she regrets her decision to move in with Matt. It was easier to deny her feelings when there was a thick wall between them. Now, with him constantly around, it seems nearly impossible.

Not that the hormones buzzing under her skin were of any help.

Nearly ten days since she resumed sleeping in her own room- as many of avoiding spending much time with her best friend- she is yet to get rid of her dreams. The kiss from that day in the nursery only seems to have made her dreams more intense than before, more tantalising. The like that left her breathless and wanting.

It’s difficult not to react when the man doing all sorts of things to her in her dreams is standing right next to her, or breathing down her neck while they work on the nursery. Well, not exactly breathing down her neck. Not with her trying to keep some physical distance between them.

Working her way around a shirtless Matt was very nearly a torture.

She bites her lip as the hand subconsciously rubbing rubbing her abdomen accidentally ventures a bit south. Last night’s dream had been particularly vivid, the images still fresh in her mind.

It’s all Matt’s fault, partially at least, anyway, she reasons. She could have easily dealt with it herself with Matt down the hallway, but with just a thin wall between them—

Biting her lip to contain any sounds, Alex gently tugs at the drawstrings of her pajamas. It is, probably, wrong on so many levels- fantasising about her best friend who probably didn’t have any such intentions towards her— but needs must. Especially when it feels like she has been on edge for far too long.

At this point, just a touch would be enough to send her tumbling over the edge.

Her sex throbs under her fingers as she teases herself, every nerve in her body focusing towards one end. Just one touch—

"Alex?"

The knock on her door and the familiar voice take a moment to register, her breath hitching as she connects the voice to her dream, the tantalising visions clouding her mind. She picks up her pace as she nears her climax, the dream-Matt hoarsely whispering in her ears, her fingers roughly pinching and rubbing as he had done in her dream. Just another moment-

"Alex?" the words are followed by a persistent knock, "Are you alright?" Matt knocks again, a little harder than before, a bit worried, "Alex?"

Alex nearly growls in frustration. _Every time._ How could someone have such an impeccable timing? “What?!”

There’s a brief pause on the other side during which she tries to will her thudding heart and breathing into control.

  
—x—x—

  
Matt eyes the door in confusion, and a little worried. Alex sounded breathless and irritated. Irritation doesn’t bother him— it’s been like a permanent fixture for past few days— shortness of breath as evident in her voice is a cause of worry.

A bit softly, his ears strained to pick out any problematic symptoms, he carefully speaks, “I—uh— well, breakfast is ready. If you aren’t feeling well, I can bring it here.”

She doesn’t speak for a while, only the sound of rustling and a groan emanate from the room. He is about to knock again when the door opens, revealing Alex, her annoyance etched on her face. Her dishelved appearance is probably because she just woke up, but the flush to her cheeks and breathlessness worries him.

"Are you alright, Alex?" He reaches out to touch her forehead to gauge her temperature, "Do we— Do we need to see a doctor?"

"I’m fine, Matthew!" she flinches and swats his hand away, "Stop treating me like a baby!"

The use of his proper name shocks him into withdrawing his hand. He fumbles for words as she goes through her morning routine, “I was just worried. I-“

Without waiting for him to finish, Alex sighs and moves past him towards kitchen, forcing him to follow. “As you can see, I’m fine, Matt. Anything else is just a normal side effect of being pregnant. Stop worrying so much”, plating her breakfast, she turns to him, arching an eyebrow as she takes a seat on the table, “When’s your exhibition?”

Whatever it is, Alex doesn’t want to talk about it, and she probably wouldn’t until it becomes too much for her. Matt sighs and follows suit, taking the seat next to her, “Next weekend.” Their hands brush as he reaches for his tea at the same time as her. It hurts when she immediately pulls away, but he doesn’t say anything. Shaking his head, Matt continues with his previous thought, “Are you free this evening? We could go look for a dress for you.”

"Matt", there is a hesitation in her voice as she tucks a curl behind her ear, moving to the sink, "I told you I can’t be your date for it."

Matt effects his best pout. He has been asking her for nearly a week now, every time with the same response. “Please?”

"I am not going anywhere looking like a mini whale."

"Yeah, but you’ll go anywhere with ‘Dave’", he mumbles under his breath. In past few days, the only times he saw her was before she left for work or when they worked on the nursery. With the latter nearly done, it is rare that he gets to talk to her. David may be the father of her unborn child, he has been her best friend for far longer.

Her eyes narrow, “What did you just say?”

He retracts his words immediately, “Nothing. Just that I don’t think you look like a mini whale”, he smiles as she huffs, “You are pregnant, Alex. I want you there with me, love. Please?”

  
“Matt, I can’t”, a strange look crosses her eyes as he steps closer, “Why don’t you ask Karen?”

Matt nearly growls. “She is going with Arthur”, Running his fingers through his hair, he turns away from her, “May be I should ask Jane if she is free next weekend.”

He bites back a smile as the words have the desired effect. Her eyes widen, anger flashing in them, if only for a moment. “Jane?! Your high school girlfriend Jane?”

  
Of all his girlfriends, for some reason, Alex disliked Jane the maximum. Not that she had ever liked any of his girlfriends, Jane was somehow the one that brought out the worst in her. It’s cruel, but its the only way. He goes for the kill.

"Well yeah. Seeing as you don’t want to go, I’ll have to ask someone else. Karen is going with Arthur. Daisy would probably never agree either. That leaves Jane. It’s not my preferred idea for such an important occasion, but I need someone to support me. May be she still likes me enough to—"

"Please", Alex scoffs, "She dumped you for the rugby team captain."

"There’s nothing a bit of grovelling and a box of chocolates can’t do."

She rolls her eyes, heading back to her room, “Keep your money, kitten. You’ll need it to buy me dinner.”

His shoulders shake as he tries to suppress his laughter at the nickname his old girlfriend used to use for him. Alex hated that nickname just as much as he did.

He opens his mouth to ask her something when she calls out again, “And, just for playing me like this, you don’t get to see the dress until the date.”

Matt doesn’t even mind; her implied agreement means a lot more than that. Trying not to get his hopes up, he tentatively asks, barely managing to keep his excitement out of his voice, “This is you agreeing to come with me to the exhibition, right?”

"It’s a date, Mr. Smith."

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
